The Kanji: 次 (Ji / Tsugi / Tsu)
The kanji 次 means "next," "secondary," or "order." It combines 欠 (lacking/gaping) with 二 (two), originally depicting the second in sequence. This character represents sequential order and subordinate position.
Common Words & Example Sentences
1. 次 (tsugi) - Next
次の駅で降ります。
"I get off at the next station."
2. 次第 (shidai) - Gradually/Depending on
天気次第で決める。
"Decide depending on the weather."
3. 目次 (mokuji) - Table of contents
本の目次を確認する。
"Check the book's table of contents."
4. 次回 (jikai) - Next time
次回は金曜日です。
"Next time is Friday."
In summary, 次 describes sequence and dependency - from immediate succession (次), conditional actions (次第), organizational order (目次) to future occasions (次回). It's fundamental for expressing chronological relationships.