跟
with; and; to follow
gēn
What does 跟 mean?
跟 (gēn) has two main jobs. As a preposition, it means 'with' or 'and' — 我跟你一起去 (I'll go with you), 跟朋友吃饭 (eat with friends). As a verb, it means 'to follow' — 跟我来 (follow me), 跟着老师读 (read along with the teacher).
It also marks the second party in interactive verbs: 跟他说话 (speak with him), 跟她结婚 (marry her). Two contrasts with English: first, where English uses 'with' in many idioms (with luck, with care), Chinese often uses a different structure entirely — 跟 is mostly for being WITH a person. Second, 跟, 和 (hé), and 与 (yǔ) all overlap; 跟 is the most spoken/northern, 和
Character breakdown
to follow; with; heel (the foot radical 足 + 艮 'fixed') — originally the heel of the foot, then 'follow' by walking after, then 'with'
Memory hook: 跟 has the foot radical 足 — your heel follows the rest of your foot. 'Follow' became 'with' (the one you're walking with).
Example sentences
我跟你一起去。
Wǒ gēn nǐ yīqǐ qù.
I'll go with you.
spoken
跟我来，我带你去。
Gēn wǒ lái, wǒ dài nǐ qù.
Follow me, I'll take you there.
spoken
她跟她妈妈长得一样。
Tā gēn tā māma zhǎng de yīyàng.
She looks the same as her mom.
spoken
你跟老师说一下。
Nǐ gēn lǎoshī shuō yīxià.
Have a quick word with the teacher.
spoken
Common phrases with 跟
Synonyms
和 is the most neutral 'and / with' — works in both writing and speech. 跟 is more spoken and more common in the north. Both mean 'with' in sentences like 我跟/和你去, but writing prefers 和.
与 is the formal/literary equivalent — used in titles, contracts, news (中国与美国 — China and the US). Never use 与 in casual speech; never use 跟 in a formal headline.