cì: 次 - Next, Second, Time(s)

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• Summary: Discover the meaning of 次 (cì), one of the most fundamental and versatile characters in Mandarin Chinese. This page explains how 次 is used as the primary measure word for counting actions and events (e.g., “three times”), its role in indicating sequence (like “next time” or “second”), and its less common meaning of “inferior.” Essential for beginners, understanding 次 is a key step to describing experiences and frequency in Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): cì
• Part of Speech: Measure Word, Adjective, Adverb
• HSK Level: HSK 1
• Concise Definition: A measure word for the number of times an action occurs; also means “next” or “second/inferior.”
• In a Nutshell: Think of 次 (cì) as a counter for experiences or actions. Any time you want to say you did something “once,” “twice,” or “many times” in Chinese, you'll almost certainly use 次. It quantifies an event. Beyond this main role, it also helps structure time by meaning “next” (like in “next time”) and can describe something as “secondary” or “second-rate.”

• The character 次 is a combination of two components:
• 二 (èr): The character for “two” or “second.”
• 欠 (qiàn): Originally depicting a person with an open mouth, meaning “to lack” or “to owe.”
• When combined, a helpful mnemonic is to think of “the second (二) thing” as being slightly lacking (欠) in quality compared to the first. This directly relates to the meaning of “secondary” or “inferior.” From this idea of being second in line, the meaning expanded to include sequence (“the next one”) and eventually became the default counter for an instance or “time” that an action occurs.

• While 次 (cì) itself isn't a deeply philosophical term, its frequent use highlights a structural difference between Chinese and English. Mandarin is very precise about quantifying actions. In English, we can simply say, “I called him three times.” The number “three” directly modifies the action.
• In Chinese, you almost always need a “measure word” between the number and the action it's counting. The sentence becomes “I called him three [instances]” (我给他打了三次电话). The use of 次 forces the speaker to conceptualize the action as a discrete, countable event.
• This can be compared to how English speakers must use counters for non-count nouns (e.g., “a piece of advice,” not “an advice”). In Chinese, actions are treated similarly, requiring a specific counter. This reflects a linguistic tendency towards categorization and specificity that is a hallmark of the language. Using 次 correctly is a fundamental sign that a learner is starting to think in a more Chinese way.

This is the primary function of 次. The structure is typically: Verb + (了/过) + Number + 次 (+ Object). It answers the question “How many times?”.

• It's used for nearly any action: visiting a place, eating a meal, watching a movie, making a mistake, etc.
• It is neutral and simply states the frequency.

次 is a key component in words that denote sequence or order.

• 下次 (xià cì): “Next time.” Extremely common in daily conversation.
• 这次 (zhè cì): “This time.”
• 上次 (shàng cì): “Last time.”
• 次日 (cì rì): A more formal way to say “the next day” (第二天 is more common in speech).
• 次序 (cìxù): “Order” or “sequence.”

This usage is less common for HSK 1 learners but is important for understanding more complex words. It carries a connotation of being secondary, subordinate, or of lower quality.

• 次要 (cìyào): “Secondary,” “less important.” (e.g., 这是一个次要问题 - This is a secondary issue.)
• 次品 (cìpǐn): “Defective product,” “substandard goods.”

• Example 1:
  • 我去过一次北京。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ qùguò yī cì Běijīng.
  • English: I have been to Beijing once.
  • Analysis: A classic example of using 次 to count an experience. The structure is Verb (去) + Suffix (过) + Number (一) + Measure Word (次) + Object (北京).
• Example 2:
  • 我们下次再聊吧！
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen xià cì zài liáo ba!
  • English: Let's chat again next time!
  • Analysis: Here, 下次 is used as a time phrase, meaning “next time.” This is an extremely common way to end a conversation.
• Example 3:
  • 这次的考试非常难。
  • Pinyin: Zhè cì de kǎoshì fēicháng nán.
  • English: This time, the exam was extremely difficult.
  • Analysis: 这次 functions as a specifier, indicating that we are talking about this specific instance of the exam, not exams in general.
• Example 4:
  • 对不起，我第一次来这里，迷路了。
  • Pinyin: Duìbùqǐ, wǒ dì-yī cì lái zhèlǐ, mílù le.
  • English: Sorry, this is my first time here, I'm lost.
  • Analysis: 第一次 (dì-yī cì) is a fixed phrase for “the first time.” The pattern is 第 + Number + 次.
• Example 5:
  • 老师，请您再说一次。
  • Pinyin: Lǎoshī, qǐng nín zài shuō yī cì.
  • English: Teacher, please say it one more time.
  • Analysis: This shows how to request repetition. 再说一次 means “say it again once.”
• Example 6:
  • 我每个月给家人打两次电话。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ měi gè yuè gěi jiārén dǎ liǎng cì diànhuà.
  • English: I call my family twice every month.
  • Analysis: 次 is used to express frequency over a period of time. Note the use of 两 (liǎng) instead of 二 (èr) for “two” when counting things.
• Example 7:
  • 你试过多少次了？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ shìguò duōshǎo cì le?
  • English: How many times have you tried?
  • Analysis: A question pattern using 多少次 (duōshǎo cì) to ask “how many times?”.
• Example 8:
  • 他犯了同样的错误好几次。
  • Pinyin: Tā fànle tóngyàng de cuòwù hǎojǐ cì.
  • English: He made the same mistake several times.
  • Analysis: 好几次 (hǎojǐ cì) is a common phrase meaning “several times” or “quite a few times.”
• Example 9:
  • 在工作中，细节是主要的，薪水是次要的。
  • Pinyin: Zài gōngzuò zhōng, xìjié shì zhǔyào de, xīnshuǐ shì cìyào de.
  • English: In a job, the details are primary, and the salary is secondary.
  • Analysis: This example shows the “secondary/inferior” meaning of 次 in the word 次要 (cìyào).
• Example 10:
  • 这家工厂生产了很多次品。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā gōngchǎng shēngchǎnle hěnduō cìpǐn.
  • English: This factory produced a lot of defective goods.
  • Analysis: Another advanced example using 次品 (cìpǐn), where 次 clearly means “substandard” or “inferior in quality.”

The most common point of confusion for learners is the difference between 次 (cì) and 遍 (biàn). Both are measure words for actions and can be translated as “time(s).”

• 次 (cì): Focus on Occurrence
  • 次 is the general, default counter for how many times an action happened. It doesn't imply anything about the completion or duration of the action.
  • Example: 我敲了三次门。(Wǒ qiāole sān cì mén.) - I knocked on the door three times. (This just counts the act of knocking.)
• 遍 (biàn): Focus on the Entire Process
  • 遍 implies that the action was carried out completely from beginning to end. It's often used for activities like reading, watching, listening, or explaining something in its entirety.
  • Example: 我把这本书看了一遍。(Wǒ bǎ zhè běn shū kànle yī biàn.) - I read this book one time (from cover to cover).
• Common Mistake:
  • Incorrect (or at least, imprecise): 老师把课文读了三次。(Lǎoshī bǎ kèwén dúle sān cì.)
  • Better: 老师把课文读了三遍。(Lǎoshī bǎ kèwén dúle sān biàn.)
  • Why: The first sentence is grammatically okay, but it just means the teacher performed the action of reading the text three separate times. The second sentence, using 遍, clearly means the teacher read the text from start to finish three complete times, which is usually the intended meaning in a classroom context.

Rule of Thumb: If you're just counting how many times something happened, use 次. If you want to emphasize the completion of the entire process, use 遍. When in doubt, 次 is usually the safer and more common choice.

• 遍 (biàn) - The most important related term; a measure word emphasizing the entire course of an action from beginning to end.
• 回 (huí) - Another measure word for occurrences, sometimes interchangeable with 次 but often used for “matters” or “affairs” (e.g., 这回事 - this matter).
• 趟 (tàng) - A measure word specifically for trips (e.g., 我去了一趟商店 - I made a trip to the store).
• 下 (xià) - Besides being part of 下次, it can also be a measure word for brief, often sudden actions (e.g., 敲一下门 - knock on the door for a moment).
• 上 (shàng) - The counterpart to 下 in time-related words. 上次 (shàng cì) means “last time.”
• 第一 (dì yī) - Meaning “first,” it combines with 次 to form 第一次 (dì-yī cì), “the first time.”
• 再次 (zàicì) - A more formal adverb meaning “once again” or “a second time.”
• 次要 (cìyào) - An adjective meaning “secondary” or “less important,” derived from the “second-rate” meaning of 次.
• 屡次 (lǚcì) - A formal adverb meaning “repeatedly” or “time and again.”