次

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 次 (つぎ) is a single-character noun read つぎ for the next item in an order.
• Basic usage: It identifies the next station or the person immediately behind someone in line.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• The reference order determines “next”
  • 次 can be temporal, spatial, or sequential; the surrounding sequence shows what follows what.