Japanese word

次ぐ

Pronunciation

Romajitsugu

Meaning

  • verbcome after

Example

秋は夏に次ぐ季節です。aki wa natsu ni tsu gu ki setsu de su

Autumn is the season that comes after summer.

Illustration for 次ぐ (come after)

More examples

この町は人口で県内最大の都市に次ぎます。ko no machi wa jin kō de ken nai sai dai no to shi ni tsu gi ma su

This town ranks second in the prefecture by population.

Core concept

It connects one thing to what comes before it, especially when an order of time, sequence, or importance is clear.

Common phrases

  • 首都に次ぐshu to ni tsu gu

    second only to the capital city

  • 前作に次ぐzen saku ni tsu gu

    come after the previous work

  • 首位に次ぐshu i ni tsu gu

    rank just below the leader

Similar words

続くtsuzuku: To come after something in time or sequence, without necessarily indicating rank or importance.

Definition in Japanese

先にあるものに続き、時間や順序、重要さなどでその次となる。saki ni a ru mo no ni tsuzu ki ji kan ya jun jo jū yō sa na do de so no tsugi to na ru

Word origin

次ぐ (tsugu) is a native Japanese verb with an uncertain exact origin, and its established written form uses 次 (tsugi, "next"), which matches its sense of following what precedes.

Usage tips

  • The pattern Xに次ぐ (ni tsugu) Y places Y directly after X in rank, size, or importance, so it often describes the second-largest or second-most important item.

Other meanings

  • rank second toverb

Opposites

  • 先立つsakidatsuprecedeverb

Word lists with this word