The Chinese word 并肩 is a compound formation where 并 means "side by side" or "together" and 肩 means "shoulder", so its literal composition is "shoulder-to-shoulder". It functions as a verb or adverb, and its meaning extends figuratively from the physical act of standing abreast to the abstract sense of cooperating closely, working in unison, or sharing a common endeavor as equals. This metaphorical shift from a concrete physical posture to an expression of solidarity and joint effort is a common pattern in Chinese word formation.