次
time (occurrence); measure word for occasions
cì
What does 次 mean?
次 (cì) is the measure word for OCCURRENCES of an action — the equivalent of English 'time' as in 'three times.' Pattern: NUMBER + 次 + (VERB or after VERB) — 三次 ('three times'), 我去过两次 ('I've been twice'), 再来一次 ('do it one more time'). 次 sits AFTER the verb, not before: 我吃了三次药 ('I took the medicine three times'), not 我三次吃药. It also forms common time expressions: 第一次 ('the first time'), 上次 ('last time'), 下次 ('next time'), 这次 ('this time'), 每次 ('every time'). Two contrasts English speakers should know. First, 次 counts repeatable, completed actions — for ongoing duration, use a time-length expression instead (两个小时 'two hours'). Second, 次 is the general measure word for occurrences, but 遍 (biàn) emphasizes 'going through from start to finish' (再说一遍 'say it again, fully'). 次 is the more common, neutral choice. Outside of counting, 次 can mean 'order / sequence' in compound words like 次序 ('order') or 'second-rate' in 次品 ('defective product'), but the HSK 2 sense is the measure word.
Character breakdown
occurrence; time (as in three times); order; rank
Memory hook: 次 = 'time' as in 'three times.' Think of tally marks — every time something happens, add another 次.
Example sentences
这是我第一次来北京。
Zhè shì wǒ dì-yī cì lái Běijīng.
This is my first time in Beijing.
neutral
我去过日本三次。
Wǒ qù guo Rìběn sān cì.
I've been to Japan three times.
neutral
下次我请你吃饭。
Xià cì wǒ qǐng nǐ chīfàn.
Next time I'll treat you to dinner.
spoken
请再说一次。
Qǐng zài shuō yí cì.
Please say it one more time.
spoken, polite
我每次都坐地铁。
Wǒ měi cì dōu zuò dìtiě.
I take the subway every time.
neutral
Common phrases with 次
Synonyms
遍 emphasizes 'one full pass from start to finish' — common with reading, listening, watching: 看一遍 ('watch through once'), 再说一遍 ('say it again, in full'). 次 just counts occurrences without that 'whole thing' nuance. 看了三次电影 ('saw the movie three times') vs 看了三遍电影 ('watched it through three full times').
回 is a more casual, spoken alternative to 次, especially in northern Chinese: 去过两回 ('been twice'). Slightly more colloquial. 次 is the safe, universal default.
Don't confuse 次 with
时间 means 'time' as in duration / when (有时间 'have time'). 次 means 'time' as in occurrence (三次 'three times'). English uses one word for both; Chinese splits them clearly.
时 is 'time / hour' (小时 'hour,' 时候 'moment'). 次 counts occurrences. Don't say 三时 to mean 'three times' — that says 'three o'clock-ish' and is wrong anyway.
遍 counts complete passes; 次 counts occurrences. With reading or listening, the choice signals whether you mean 'all the way through' (遍) or just 'on N occasions' (次).