Meaning & readings

row, and, besides, as well as, line up, rank with, rival, equal

On’yomi ヘイ、ホウ
Kun’yomi な.み、なみ、なら.べる、なら.ぶ、なら.びに
Nanori なび

Origin

This character shows two people standing side by side, represented by the two vertical strokes with horizontal arms (like simplified figures). When multiple people or things stand next to each other in this way, they form a row or line. The doubling of the figure emphasizes the idea of things arranged together in order, which is why came to mean "row," "line up," or "rank with." The visual concept of bodies positioned equally next to one another directly expresses the meaning of parallel arrangement and equality.

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Pictographic or simple.

8 strokes

Components

This character is treated as a single, undivided shape (並).

  • meaning part

Common words

  • 並び ならび line; row
  • 並ぶ ならぶ to line up; to stand in a line
  • 並行 へいこう going side-by-side; going abreast
  • 並立 へいりつ standing abreast
  • 並列 へいれつ arranging in a line; standing in a row
  • 並木 なみき roadside trees; row of trees
  • 月並み つきなみ every month
  • 軒並み のきなみ row of houses

Reference

Strokes
8
Kangxi radical
1
Grade
Grade 6 (Kyōiku)
Frequency rank
#599 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 2
Unicode
U+04E26