Next

by Nao

tsugi, tsu-gu, ji, shi

This character means “next.” The noun tsugi is something coming after another. The verb tsugu means “to come after” or “to follow.”

At shop counters, clerks say, “next, please!” In Japanese, they say, “otsugi no kata dōzo.” The prefix “o-“ makes a noun polite. Kata meaning a person is used when you address somebody politely. Dōzo means please.

The next generation is called “jise dai.”

Ichiji often means primary and niji, secondary. Like these examples, today’s character makes ordinal numbers. But they are used in very formal occasions or for technical terms.

For geometry, two-dimensional is nijigen; three-dimensional, sanjigen, four-dimensional, yojigen; and so on. As for numbers, please see numbers etc.

In algebra, a linear function is ichijikansū and a quadratic function is nijikansū. Kansū means a function.

1. Draw the dot from the top left.
2. Draw the sweeping dot from the lower left.
3. Draw the sweeping stroke from the top.
4. Draw the horizontal stroke touching the previous stroke. End the stroke with a leftward turn.
5. Draw the sweeping stroke from near the center of the previous stroke to the lower left.
6. Draw the sweeping stroke to the lower right corner of the character. Make it broader gradually.