次 vs. 遍

xiaopigu
 January 18, 2010, 02:51 PM posted in I Have a Question

次 vs. 遍, what is the difference between the two? Both have the meaning "-- time".

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henning
 January 18, 2010, 03:04 PM

Hi xiaopigu,

there is actually a lesson on this which might answer your question:
Qing Wen - 次，遍，趟: Measuring Times

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xiaophil
 January 18, 2010, 11:38 PM

I second what henning said, but basically:

  • 次 = time, this is most often used when talking about how many times an action occurs, e.g. 我去过中国三次 (I have gone to China 3 times.)
  • 遍 = all over (from start to finish),  This is most often used when repeating actions, e.g. 我要告诉你多少遍？(How many times do I need to tell you?)

次 also is a measure word, e.g. 这次考试 (this test).

If you think there is overlap between the two words, you are right.  But if you know the distinction between the two words you probably won't be confused.