兼
jiān · HSK 7
do concurrently
🌾🌾 a hand gripping two grain stalks at once = doing two jobs at the same time
兼 shows one hand holding two grain stalks; the related 秉 holds just one. Grasping double means doubling up: holding two roles or doing two things concurrently.
兼 — hand 又 holding two grain stalks 秝
兼 is an ideograph showing a hand (又) grasping two stalks of grain (秝) at once. The original meaning was 'to hold two things together,' which extended to 'combine,' 'simultaneously,' and 'both.' This sense of doubling up survives in modern compounds like 兼职 (hold a concurrent job).