駢 (pián) - Paired & parallel

駢Tone 2

pián ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

柠七

駢 · pián

Paired;

parallel;

couple of horses;

side by side;

parallel prose style in Chinese literature.

Pairedparallelcouple of horses

Usage highlights

Parallel prosePaired horsesDouble teethParallel sentencesPaired occurrenceSide by side

Synonyms

  • 并— to combine; parallel
  • 双— double; pair
  • 对— pair; couple

Antonyms

  • 单— single; alone
  • 独— solitary; independent

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He writes in parallel prose (骈文).
  • The horses ran side by side (骈马).
  • This is a pair of teeth (骈齿).
  • Parallel sentences are common in classical Chinese (骈句).

Collocations

  • Parallel prose(骈文)
  • Paired horses(骈马)
  • Double teeth(骈齿)
  • Parallel sentences(骈句)
  • Paired occurrence(骈列)
  • Side by side(骈肩)

Idioms

  • Shoulder to shoulder in a crowd(骈肩累迹)
  • Paired and numerous(骈拇枝指)
  • Side by side and following closely(骈首就戮)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originated from the concept of two horses harnessed together, representing pairing and parallelism.
  • Highly significant in Chinese literary history as the name for 'parallel prose' (骈文), a prestigious genre emphasizing balanced couplets.
  • In naming, often conveys elegance, literary refinement, and harmony through pairing.

FAQ