About
The character 次 originated as a combination of 二 (èr, 'two'), which provided both the pronunciation and the meaning 'second', and 欠 (qiàn, 'deficient'), yielding the overall notion of secondary or substandard quality. Over time, the left side was reanalyzed as the ice radical 冫 (bīng), masking its initial etymology. From the core idea of 'second in order' came the meanings 'next' and 'inferior'; later, the character also became a common measure word for counting occurrences, marking each instance in a series.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我每次都很开心。
这是第二次考试。
他错过了那次会议。
我们需要依次排队。
这次旅行非常愉快。
层次分明的结构很好。
次要问题可以稍后处理。
鉴于此次事故的严重性，我们必须采取措施。
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