<p>并 (at negations) = (not) at all</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>他虽然<strong>并</strong>不聪明， 可是很努力。<br>
  Although he's not clever <strong>at all</strong>, he's very diligent.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-12T12:50:28.153Z
2019-06-12T12:50:28.153Z
Enrico Brasil
<blockquote>
<p>並/并 <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/844/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/844/</a></p>
<p>[3] [adv] (used before a negative for emphasis) actually; definitely; really</p>
</blockquote>
<p>~</p>
<blockquote>
<p>他虽然<strong>不</strong>(not)聪明， 可是很努力。</p>
<p>他虽然<strong>并不</strong>(actually not)聪明， 可是很努力。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Other example of 并 as an adverb before a 'negative':</p>
<p>無(doesn't have) --&gt; 并無 (actually doesn't have)</p>
<p>未(have not/ not yet)--&gt; 并未 (actually have not/ actually not yet)</p>
<p>沒 (doesn't have/ did not)--&gt; 并沒 (actually doesn't have/ actually did not)</p>
<p><em>並 in '並有'(also have) or '並已'(had also) means 'also' since  有 and 已 are not negative</em></p>
<blockquote>
<p>'並' 不一定 等於 '並且' ('並' does not always equal 'and also')</p>
<p>'並' 并不一定 等於 '並且' ('並' actually does not always equal 'and also')</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-22T05:50:31.640Z
2019-04-22T06:01:45.123Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>I have a sentence that I can't quite grasp the meaning of. The sentence is:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>他虽然并不聪明， 可是很努力。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>It's an example from a Mandarin Chinese textbook I'm using, teaching the usages of 虽然 ~ 可/但(是).</p>

<p>I ran the sentence through a translator and it means "Although he is not smart, he works very hard." My question is, what does the 并 mean here?</p>

<p>My understanding is that if it's used as a verb it means "to combine" and if used as an adverb it means "also, simultaneously, etc."</p>

<p>Also, would the sentence</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>他虽然不是聪明， 可是很努力。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>be equivalent to the one above? The second sentence makes more sense to me intuitively.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-22T05:53:58.337Z
他虽然不是聪明， 可是很努力。: sounds wired. try removing 是
fefe
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-22T06:08:22.557Z
see previous question with answer by same author What does “他并没有来北京” means? What does 并没有 refers to?
user6065
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-22T11:00:41.933Z
他虽然并不聪明， 可是很努力 doesn't sound really good. I prefer 他虽然不聪明， 可是很努力.
dan
<usage><vocabulary>
What is the purpose of 并 in 他虽然并不聪明， 可是很努力?
# What is the purpose of 并 in 他虽然并不聪明， 可是很努力?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-04-22)

I have a sentence that I can't quite grasp the meaning of. The sentence is:

> 他虽然并不聪明， 可是很努力。

It's an example from a Mandarin Chinese textbook I'm using, teaching the usages of 虽然 ~ 可/但(是).

I ran the sentence through a translator and it means "Although he is not smart, he works very hard." My question is, what does the 并 mean here?

My understanding is that if it's used as a verb it means "to combine" and if used as an adverb it means "also, simultaneously, etc."

Also, would the sentence

> 他虽然不是聪明， 可是很努力。

be equivalent to the one above? The second sentence makes more sense to me intuitively.

**Tags:** usage, vocabulary
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 他虽然不是聪明， 可是很努力。: sounds wired. try removing 是  
> **username_2**: see previous question with answer by same author What does “他并没有来北京” means? What does 并没有 refers to?  
> **username_3**: 他虽然并不聪明， 可是很努力 doesn't sound really good. I prefer 他虽然不聪明， 可是很努力.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2019-04-22. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

> 並/并 <http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/844/>
>
> [3] [adv] (used before a negative for emphasis) actually; definitely; really

~

> 他虽然**不**(not)聪明， 可是很努力。
>
> 他虽然**并不**(actually not)聪明， 可是很努力。

Other example of 并 as an adverb before a 'negative':

無(doesn't have) --> 并無 (actually doesn't have)

未(have not/ not yet)--> 并未 (actually have not/ actually not yet)

沒 (doesn't have/ did not)--> 并沒 (actually doesn't have/ actually did not)

*並 in '並有'(also have) or '並已'(had also) means 'also' since 有 and 已 are not negative*

> '並' 不一定 等於 '並且' ('並' does not always equal 'and also')
>
> '並' 并不一定 等於 '並且' ('並' actually does not always equal 'and also')


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### Answer by username_4 on 2019-06-12. Score: 1

并 (at negations) = (not) at all

> 他虽然**并**不聪明， 可是很努力。  
> Although he's not clever **at all**, he's very diligent.


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