跟

• Pinyin: gēn
• Hanzi breakdown: 跟 = 足 (foot) + 艮 (firm, phonetic) — to follow on foot

Meaning

With; and; to follow. Used as a preposition meaning with, a conjunction meaning and, and a verb meaning to follow.

As a preposition, 跟 means with or to (跟你一起 together with you, 跟他说 speak to him). As a conjunction, it links nouns like 和 (我跟他 he and I). As a verb, it means to follow (跟着我 follow me). In spoken Mandarin, 跟 is often preferred over 和 when indicating doing something with someone.

Examples

1. 我想跟你一起去。 I want to go with you.
2. 他跟我说了这件事。 He told me about this.
3. 小狗跟着主人走。 The little dog follows its owner.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, social

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你跟谁一起来的？(Who did you come with?)
• 我要跟老师说一下。(I need to talk to the teacher.)

Don't Say

• 说'跟走我'来表示跟着我走。(Don't say 跟走我 — say 跟我走 or 跟着我走 to mean follow me)

Origin & History

Composed of 足 (foot) and 艮 (phonetic component meaning firm or steady). The original meaning was to follow with one's feet.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal