并

The Chinese character 并 (bìng) is composed of two parts: 壬 (rén) and 刀 (dāo). 壬 is a pictograph of a person standing with two arms outstretched, representing the idea of "together" or "side by side". 刀 is a pictograph of a knife, representing the idea of "cutting" or "dividing". When these two characters are combined, they create the character 并, which means "to join together" or "to unite".The character 并 has been used in Chinese for over 3,000 years, and it has a rich history of usage. In ancient times, it was often used in military contexts, to refer to the joining of forces or the formation of alliances. In modern times, it is used in a wider variety of contexts, including business, politics, and everyday life.The character 并 is also used in a number of Chinese idioms and proverbs. For example, the idiom 并肩作战 (bìngjiān zhàndòu) means "to fight side by side", and the proverb 不积跬步，无以至千里 (bù jī kuǐbù, wú yǐ zhì qiānlǐ) means "without taking small steps, one cannot reach a thousand miles".The character 并 is a versatile and important character in the Chinese language, and it is worth taking the time to learn its etymology and usage.