TongTong
Sign in

平行 (píng xíng) — parallel (lines, roads, etc.); simultaneous; concurrent; of equal rank; on a par

Definition

Used for things (lines, events, ranks) that run side by side at the same level without meeting. For "concurrent processes" specifically, 并行 is the technical term; 同期 refers to the same time period.

parallel (lines, roads, etc.)simultaneousconcurrentof equal rankon a par

Examples

  • 平行。
    Zhè tiáo lù hé nà tiáo lù shì píng xíng de.
    This road and that road are parallel.
  • 平行。
    Liǎng gè huì yì píng xíng jǔ xíng.
    The two meetings are held simultaneously.
  • 平行。
    Wǒ men bù mén de jīng lǐ hé fù jīng lǐ shì píng xíng zhí wèi.
    The manager and assistant manager in our department are of equal rank.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

平pínglevel/equal
行xínggo/walk

平 gives 'level/equal', and 行 gives 'go/walk'; together they describe things that proceed evenly and remain on an equal footing.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The origin is uncertain. One explanation combines 八 (division) and 亏 (exhaled air) to show smooth speech.

Open 平 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 彳彳chì
  • 亍亍chù

The shape of 行 originally showed a street intersection, even on both sides. Later it became uneven, with 彳 on the left and 亍 on the right.

Open 行 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Shapes

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.