顺序 (shùn xù) is a noun meaning 'sequence' or 'order'—the logical, temporal, or spatial arrangement in which things occur or are placed. The first character 顺 means 'smooth', 'in accordance with', or 'following naturally', while the second character 序 means 'order', 'sequence', or 'catalogue'. Together, they convey the idea of things progressing in a coherent, expected, or prescribed way—not just random placement, but a meaningful, often intentional arrangement.

This word is commonly used in daily life for instructions (e.g., cooking steps), academic contexts (e.g., chronological order of events), computing (data sorting), and administrative processes (e.g., queue order). It implies structure and predictability: whether lining up for tickets, reading a story from beginning to end, or executing steps in a scientific experiment, 顺序 signals that the order matters for correctness or understanding.