after-party; second party of the night
Refers to a casual gathering after a main event, such as a formal dinner, wedding reception, or office party. Often involves moving to a different venue.
結婚式の後、二次会でカラオケに行った。
After the wedding reception, we went to karaoke for the after-party.
忘年会の二次会は居酒屋でやる予定だ。
The after-party for the year-end party is planned at an izakaya.
second meeting
Less common; used when a second formal meeting or session is held, distinct from the casual after-party sense.
委員会の二次会は来週の水曜日に開かれる。
The second meeting of the committee will be held next Wednesday.
A wrap-up party or celebration after a project or event; similar to 二次会 but can be the main informal gathering, not necessarily a second party.
Standard kanji spelling; widely used in news and everyday contexts.
Numerical variant; common in casual writing and advertisements.
Compound of 二 (ni, 'second') + 次 (ji, 'next') + 会 (kai, 'meeting' or 'party'). The term follows the pattern of numbering gatherings in sequence.