并行

• Pinyin: bìng xíng
• Hanzi breakdown: 并 = side by side; 行 = crossroads pictograph, meaning to go or proceed

Meaning

To proceed in parallel; to run concurrently; side by side. Used for simultaneous activities or processes.

Common in technical contexts (parallel processing), policy discussions (implementing multiple strategies simultaneously), and descriptions of coexisting systems. More formal than 同时进行.

Examples

1. 新旧系统将并行运行三个月，确保平稳过渡。 The old and new systems will run in parallel for three months to ensure a smooth transition.
2. 经济发展与环境保护必须并行不悖，不能顾此失彼。 Economic development and environmental protection must proceed in parallel without conflict.
3. 这台超级计算机可以支持数百万个任务并行处理。 This supercomputer can support millions of tasks running in parallel.

Usage Guide

Context: technical, policy, management

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 多个项目并行推进，需要合理分配资源。(With multiple projects running in parallel, resources need to be allocated rationally.)
• 传统方法与新技术可以并行使用。(Traditional methods and new technology can be used in parallel.)

Don't Say

• 我们两个人并行走路。(For physically walking together, use 并排走 — 并行 is for processes or systems)

Origin & History

并 (together, parallel) + 行 (to go, proceed). Meaning to proceed together simultaneously.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated/Technical