次ぐ

• Reading: つぐ
• Romaji: tsugu
• Kanji breakdown: 次 (ji/tsugi) — next, following, order
• Pronunciation: /tsɯ.ɡɯ/

Meaning

To rank next to; to come after; to follow in order.

A Group 1 (godan) intransitive verb conjugated with the ぐ row (次がない, 次ぎます). Most commonly used in the pattern AにBが次ぐ (B follows A in rank/order). Frequently appears in the form に次いで (second only to) or に次ぐ (next to, following). Literary and news-style, rarely used in casual conversation.

Examples

1. 東京に次いで大阪の人口が多い。 Osaka has the second largest population after Tokyo.
2. 日本に次ぐ経済大国はどこだろう。 I wonder which country is the next biggest economy after Japan.
3. 彼女は社長に次ぐ地位についている。 She holds the position second only to the president.

Usage Guide

Context: news, rankings, academic writing

Tone: informative

Origin & History

From the same root as 次 (tsugi, next). The kanji 次 combines 冫 (ice/cold, suggesting sequence) and 欠 (yawn/lack), originally depicting things following in succession.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal