次 meaning and stroke order
Next in sequence; second; the second (day, time etc)
How to write 次, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Meaning of 次
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- next in sequence
- second
- the second (day, time etc)
- secondary
- vice-
- sub-
How 次 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A person 欠 yawning multiple times 冫.
Radical: 欠 (to lack), shared by 28 characters on this site.
How to remember 次
次 is a person yawning 欠 with two little strokes 冫 beside it, like counting the yawns one after another. Each yawn is one more time, which is why 次 counts times and marks what comes next.
次 is most often a measure word for how many times something happens, placed after a number, as in 三次 (sān cì) three times. It also means next or second in rank, as in 其次 (qícì) secondly. Example: 我下次再来。(Wǒ xià cì zài lái.) I will come again next time.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 次 (cì) with 欢 (huān) because both have 欠 on the right. 次 has the two-dot water-like 冫 on the left, while 欢 has 又. Another slip is putting 次 before the verb in Chinese order. Say 我去过两次 (wǒ qù guo liǎng cì), not 我两次去过.
Common words with 次
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 下次 | xià cì | next time | HSK 1 |
| 上次 | shàng cì | last time | HSK 1 |
| 其次 | qícì | next; secondly | HSK 3 |
| 多次 | duō cì | many times; repeatedly | HSK 4 |
| 再次 | zàicì | once more; once again | HSK 5 |
| 层次 | céngcì | layer; level | HSK 5 |
| 首次 | shǒucì | first; first time | HSK 6 |
| 此次 | cǐ cì | this time | HSK 6 |
| 一次性 | yīcìxìng | one-off (offer); one-time | HSK 6 |
| 次数 | cìshù | number of times; frequency | HSK 6 |
| 依次 | yīcì | in order; in succession | HSK 6 |
| 初次 | chūcì | for the first time; first (meeting, attempt etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 档次 | dàngcì | grade; class | HSK 7-9 |
| 仅次于 | jǐn cì yú | second only to ...; ranking behind only ... | HSK 7-9 |
次 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 次
Learning 次 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 次
How many strokes are in 次?
次 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 次 mean?
次 (cì) means next in sequence; second; the second (day, time etc). A common word with it is 下次 (xià cì), meaning "next time".
How do you pronounce 次?
次 is pronounced cì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 次?
The radical of 次 is 欠, which carries the idea of "to lack". Dictionaries list 次 under this radical.
Is 次 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 次 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 次 and 遍 when counting times?
次 simply counts occurrences of an action. 遍 (biàn) stresses doing something from beginning to end, like reading a book through once: 看了一遍 (kàn le yí biàn).
Does 次 mean low quality?
Yes, in casual speech 次 can mean inferior or second-rate, as in 这个东西很次 (zhège dōngxi hěn cì), this thing is poor quality. Related words include 次品 (cìpǐn), a defective product.