次（つぎ、tsugi）
- next

The Japanese word 次 つぎ primarily means "next," "following," or "sequence." It indicates the item, person, or event that comes after another in time, order, or a series. It can also mean "the following" or "the subsequent." 次 can be used as a noun, an adverb, or as part of a compound word.

⚫︎次の駅 Translation: The next station ⚫︎次は何ですか？ Translation: What's next? ⚫︎次の人 Translation: The next person

⚫︎次 is used to indicate the item, event, or person that comes after another. ⚫︎It's frequently used in instructions, schedules, conversations, and written text. ⚫︎When used as an adverb, it often modifies verbs, indicating that something happens "next" or "afterwards." ⚫︎When 次 is a noun, it can be combined with other words to form compound nouns. ⚫︎The context determines whether 次 refers to something in time, sequence, or order.

⚫︎次 is typically written with the kanji 次, but can also be written in hiragana as つぎ. ⚫︎The reading is つぎ. ⚫︎There is only one standard way to write this word. The okurigana is not variable.

⚫︎あと (ato) - "after," "later," "behind" (can imply sequence) ⚫︎今度 (kondo) - "next time," "soon" ⚫︎その次 (sono tsugi) - "the one after that" ⚫︎続き (tsuzuki) - "continuation," "sequel" (related to the idea of the next thing in a series)

⚫︎前 (mae) - "before," "previous" ⚫︎最初 (saisho) - "first," "beginning" ⚫︎先 (saki) - "ahead," "previous"

次は、あなたの番です。 ・Translation: Next, it's your turn. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 次 to indicate who is "next" in a sequence or order.

次に、このボタンを押してください。 ・Translation: Next, please press this button. ・Explanation: Here, 次 is used as an adverb to specify the next action to take.

The kanji 次 is composed of the radical 冫 (ni-sui) meaning "ice" or "two" and 欠 (ketsu) meaning "deficiency" or "lack". It is thought to indicate something that follows or fills the place of something else. This can be interpreted in relation to how 次 is used to signify "next" in a sequence or order. The kanji came from Chinese characters.