Meaning and Usage
"並行" (へいこう) means "side by side" or "concurrent," often used to describe two or more activities or things happening simultaneously or running parallel to each other.
Common Contexts
It is frequently used in business or project management to describe tasks or projects being done at the same time. It also appears in physical contexts, such as roads or lines running parallel.
Collocations and Patterns
- 並行して (へいこうして): "concurrently" or "in parallel"; used to describe doing multiple actions simultaneously.
- 並行輸入 (へいこうゆにゅう): "parallel import"; a common term in trade.
- 並行道路 (へいこうどうろ): "parallel road"; used in geography or urban planning.
Register and Nuance
"並行" is a neutral, formal word suitable for written and spoken Japanese, especially in professional or academic contexts.
Learner Tips
Avoid confusing "並行" with "平行" (also read へいこう), which specifically means "parallel" in a geometric sense. "並行" emphasizes simultaneous or side-by-side actions or processes, not just geometric parallelism.