並み (なみ)

• Reading: なみ
• Romaji: nami
• Formation: Noun + 並み (standalone) / Noun + 並みの + Noun (adnominal) / Noun + 並みに + Verb/Adjective (adverbial)
• Kanji breakdown: 並 (line up, ordinary, equal)

Meaning

A noun suffix meaning 'on par with,' 'matching the level of,' or 'comparable to,' used to indicate that something equals a particular standard or reference point.

並み attaches to nouns to create compound expressions meaning 'at the level of X' or 'comparable to X.' It can express both a positive comparison (プロ並みの腕前 — skill on par with a professional) and a neutral factual comparison (人並みの生活 — an ordinary/average life). When used with 人並み, it means 'average' or 'normal,' since the reference point is ordinary people. The suffix is highly productive and can attach to proper nouns, common nouns, and even some quantity expressions. It differs from ～のような, which draws a simile, whereas 並み asserts near-equivalence in level or quality. The の particle is used when 並み modifies a following noun: プロ並みの技術.

Examples

1. 彼女のピアノの腕前はプロ並みだと評判だ。 Her piano skills are reputed to be on par with a professional.
2. 今年の夏は例年並みの暑さになる見込みだ。 This summer is expected to be about as hot as an average year.
3. 人並みの収入があれば十分だと考えている。 I think it is enough to have an ordinary income.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 独学でありながら、大学院生並みの論文を書き上げた。
• 今月の売上は昨年並みに回復する見通しだ。
• あの子は小学生なのに大人並みの語彙力がある。

Don't Say

• 彼は並みプロの技術がある。(Placing 並み before the reference noun instead of after it) → 彼にはプロ並みの技術がある。
• プロ並みが上手だ。(Using 並み as a subject with が instead of adnominal の or adverbial に) → プロ並みに上手だ。

Origin & History

並み derives from the verb 並ぶ (to line up, to stand alongside), and originally referred to things arranged in a row at the same level. It developed into a suffix expressing equivalence in standard or quality during the medieval period.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal