next

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 次 has 6 strokes and denotes the next place in a sequence.
• Basic usage: 次 is read つぎ, and 次第 is read しだい.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• What follows in a sequence
  • 次の駅 means the next station, and 私の次に並んでいる人 is the person standing next after the speaker in line.
• A ceremony's order and a determining condition
  • 式の次第 means the order in which a ceremony proceeds.
  • 準備次第だ means that the outcome depends on the preparation.
  • In this use, 次第 identifies the preceding noun as a condition that determines the result.