When to use "下一个" and when just "下一" to translate English "next"?

Question

When I looked up how to say "next" some time in the last couple of months I found "下一个".

So I was using that and seemed to be mostly understood. But then I started noticing that just "下一" was used by others.

I know that "个" is the generic counter/classifier, so is it actually part of the phrase/term for "next" or could it be just a kind of mistake from using Google Translate?

There are different ways to use "next" in English and I'm sure there must be in Chinese too. In my case I always needed to say things like "to the next city / town / petrol station / service area".

So what do I need to know about using "下一个" or just "下一"?

Answer 1

Noun phrases in many cases require classifiers (= measure words). 个 is the generic classifier, but you should use whichever classifier is appropriate. Note that 一 is usually elided from "下一个":

• Next month = 下(一)个月

• Next week = 下(一)个星期

• The next book (e.g., imagine it's a series) = 下一本书

• The next photo = 下一张照片

Some words are "their own measure word" in some sense. 天 is really the only one in this category that struck me as weird. The others are words that usually are measure words but occasionally stand on their own:

• The next day = 下一天

• The next (bus/train/subway) stop = 下一站

• The next sheet = 下一张

One word I've encountered optionally takes a measure word: 小时. It's (normatively) correct to always use 个, but in some people's colloquial speech, it (like 天) acts "as its own measure word":

• The next hour = 下个小时

• Don't think I've heard "下小时", but I've definitely heard it sans-measure-word in other contexts, e.g., "还有三小时" (= Three hours to go!)

Answer 2

Since you're in Taiwan, I'll use traditional characters.

No, it's not part of of the phrase "next". It's separate. 下 indicates "the next" and 一個 as you said is a counter. 下一個 literally is "the next one", 下兩個 "the next two", 下三個 "the next three", etc.

You'll have heard these:

1. 下一位 (xià yī wèi) "next person" (when in a queue/waiting in line)

2. 下一站 (xià yí zhàn) "next stop/station" (public transportation)

3. 下一頁 (xià yī yè) "next page"

In my case I always needed to say things like "to the next city / town / petrol station / service area".

下一個 works for all those. 城市 (chéng shì) or 城鎮 (chéng zhèn) would be OK for city and town, better if you know the name of where you're going.

Petrol station is 加油站 (jiā yóu zhàn) and service area is 休息站 (xiū xí zhàn)

Answer 3

So what do I need to know about using "下一个" or just "下一"?

“下” means "next" in English. but the latter "一" or "个" is not a fixed phrase with "下". “一” is a numeric word plus "个” (a unit word). So from linguistics speaking, the structure of the phrase is:

方位词（localizer）+数词(numeric word)+量词(Unit word)/或者名词(noun)

So you can substitute any of them, such as:

1) *前面+三+排*座位上的人聚精会神看电影。

2）*左边+一+枚*纽扣掉了。

3) *右边+二+位*同志请让出道，谢谢。

4）*前+一+小时*你在干什么？