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  1. The next time I will meet you
  2. Next time I will meet you.

I think both are correct, but do both sentences indicate different meaning?

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    What does your research show? Can you show us your research?
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Nov 9, 2016 at 11:24
  • Either is acceptable, and semantically, there's little difference. The anarthrous (without 'the') version is certainly more idiomatic, though there seems to be a clash of registers (Next time, I'll meet you). It's conversational, everyday, light, unmarked. The variant with 'the' is heavier, more portentous. It seems to hint at something serious ("The next time the volcano erupts, ...").
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Apr 30, 2020 at 15:59

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"Next time I will meet you" is probably a more common usage. The use of the definite article with "next" depends on context as explained in the following extract from the Cambridge Dictionary:

When we talk about days of the week, weeks, months, years, seasons or public holidays in the future in relation to now, we use next without the and without a preposition:

  • I have an appointment with the dentist next Wednesday morning. Not: … the next Wednesday morning.

  • Are you working next week? Not: Are you working on next week?*

  • Next year will be our fortieth wedding anniversary.

  • We’re going to plant some new flowers next spring.

To refer to the future, we can use the next few hours, the next two days, the next six months, etc.:

  • I’ll finish the work in the next few days. You can pay me then.

  • We’ll be home for the next three weeks, then we’re going away to France for two weeks.

When we talk about times in the past or future not related to now, we normally use the. However, in informal situations, we can omit the when we talk about the past:

  • The next day we travelled to the ancient city of Qom.

  • We’re going to spend the first night in Oslo, then the next day we’ll fly to Narvik.

  • Two policemen grabbed me. Next minute, I was arrested and thrown into a van.

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  • These are talking about specific clock- etc times. OP asks about a sequential event (notice that 'next year' not 'fortieth wedding anniversary' influences the usage above).
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Nov 9, 2016 at 12:17
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Next month is the month just after this one. It is now April, 2020. So, May, 2020 is next month.

The next month is the period of thirty days starting at the moment of speaking. On April 15th 2020, the next month is the period from April 15th to May 15th.

Similarly, 'next time' means the moment just after this one. 'The next time' means the whole period starting from right now to the expected coming moment : I will be busy with my project for the next time ( = the moment starting from now).

Therefore, I think the first sentence is absolutely ok. Next time I will meet you. (NOT, the next time). Hope, it's clear now.

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  • I don't think this really helps in clarifying the difference (if any) between "next time" and "the next time".
    – KillingTime
    Commented Apr 30, 2020 at 15:23

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