次 cì — time, occasion (measure word for repeated actions)
cì (fourth tone, falling)ci4
time, occasion (measure word for repeated actions)
HSK 2· HSK 1–4 (classic)measure
Meanings
time, occasion (measure word for repeated actions)
Counts how many times an action happens: 一次, 两次, 三次. It follows the verb — 我去过两次 — and, being a measure word itself, never takes 个.
measure
Example sentences
- 我去过两次中国。我去過兩次中國。Wǒ (third tone, dipping) qùguo (fourth tone, falling) liǎng (third tone, dipping) cì (fourth tone, falling) Zhōngguó. (first tone, high and level)···
I’ve been to China twice.
- 这是我第一次坐飞机。這是我第一次坐飛機。Zhè (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) dì (fourth tone, falling) yī (first tone, high and level) cì (fourth tone, falling) zuò (fourth tone, falling) fēijī. (first tone, high and level)···
This is my first time on a plane.
Common mistakes
Not quite我看了三个次。
Correct我看了三次。
次 is itself the measure word, so the number attaches to it directly. Inserting 个 is like saying "three pieces of times".