Meaning
并 is a versatile word that most commonly functions as an adverb emphasizing negation or contrast, often translated as 'actually (not)' or 'on the contrary'. It can also mean 'and' or 'furthermore' in formal contexts, and as a verb it means to merge or stand side by side.
Usage
Most frequently used in negative constructions like '并不' (bìng bù, actually not) or '并没有' (bìng méi yǒu, actually did not) to emphasize that something is contrary to expectation. In formal writing, it can connect clauses meaning 'and' or 'moreover'. The side-by-side meaning is less common in modern usage.
Examples
- 01他并不喜欢吃辣的食物。.He actually doesn't like to eat spicy food.
- 02这个问题并没有看起来那么简单。.This problem actually isn't as simple as it looks.
Common collocations
- 并不actually not, not really
- 并没有actually did not
- 并且and, moreover
- 并列to stand side by side, parallel
Origin
The traditional form 並 originally depicted two people standing side by side, which extended metaphorically to mean 'together', 'and', and eventually developed its emphatic adverbial uses.