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跟 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
跟gēnheelHSK 2, p, 13 strokes, radical 足, rank #70, Easy
跟gēnto follow closelyHSK 2, p, 13 strokes, radical 足, rank #70, Easy
跟gēnto go withHSK 2, p, 13 strokes, radical 足, rank #70, Easy
跟gēnto marry sb (of woman)HSK 2, p, 13 strokes, radical 足, rank #70, Easy
跟gēnwithHSK 2, p, 13 strokes, radical 足, rank #70, Easy
跟gēntowardsHSK 2, p, 13 strokes, radical 足, rank #70, Easy
跟gēnas (compared to)HSK 2, p, 13 strokes, radical 足, rank #70, Easy
跟gēnfrom (different from)HSK 2, p, 13 strokes, radical 足, rank #70, Easy
跟gēnand (in addition to)HSK 2, p, 13 strokes, radical 足, rank #70, Easy
跟gēnheel; to accompany, to follow; withHSK 2, p, 13 strokes, radical 足, rank #70, Easy
跟gēn(of a woman) to marry sbHSK 2, unknown, 13 strokes, radical 足, rank #70, Easy
跟gēncompared withHSK 2, unknown, 13 strokes, radical 足, rank #70, Easy
跟gēntoHSK 2, unknown, 13 strokes, radical 足, rank #70, Easy
跟gēnand (joining two nouns)HSK 2, unknown, 13 strokes, radical 足, rank #70, Easy
gēn(gen1) T1
  1. 1heel
  2. 2to follow closely
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

跟gēn(gen1)

The character 跟 (gēn) primarily means 'to follow' or 'to go with'. It is commonly used in both literal contexts, such as following someone, and figurative contexts, such as comparing two things. Additionally, it can indicate companionship or connection between subjects.

Strokes13Radical足Frequency#70DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of companionship is significant, especially in social settings. The word 跟 reflects the importance of relationships and following social norms, often seen in contexts like family gatherings where individuals follow the lead of elders.

Memory Tip

Imagine a dog following closely behind its owner, its tail wagging. The character 跟 resembles the action of a dog’s tail (the radical '足' means foot) following its owner (the horizontal stroke represents the path they take together). Remember 'gēn' as the sound of a dog barking while it happily follows.

Meanings of 跟

gēn(gen1)
1heel
2to follow closely
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 跟

跟Simplified
13Strokes
足Radical
连词连词cnpv (conj.)Part of Speech
#70Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L3HSK 3.0L2ElementaryTOCFLL1YCTL1HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 跟

JasonAmy

Podcast: 跟

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 跟

Quick Contrast

跟 (gēn) vs 随 (suí) — use 跟 for direct companionship or following, while 随 emphasizes a more passive or natural following.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 跟 with the character 和 (hé), which also means 'and'. Remember that 跟 is used for direct companionship or following, while 和 is more for conjunction in lists. It is informal and commonly used in everyday speech.

HSK Study Tips

At HSK Level 3, students should focus on using 跟 in sentences that describe actions with others, such as 'I go with him' (我跟他去). Practicing with collocations like 跟我来 (gēn wǒ lái, 'follow me') can help solidify understanding.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 跟 to mean 'and' in all situations, which can lead to awkward sentences. For example, saying '我跟你和他' (wǒ gēn nǐ hé tā) instead of '我跟你一起和他' (wǒ gēn nǐ yīqǐ hé tā, 'I go with you and him').

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 跟

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Etymology of 跟

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 足 represents the meaning and 艮 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

foot

Semantic (meaning)足
+
Phonetic (sound)艮
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 跟

Phonosemantic compound. 足 represents the meaning and 艮 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half足 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half艮 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayfoot
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 跟? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 跟?

Decomposition of 跟

IDS Structure⿰足艮
跟Full Character
=
足ju4
left
艮gen3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 跟?

How to say heel in Chinese

“heel” in Chinese is跟gēn

The character 跟 (gēn) primarily means 'to follow' or 'to go with'. It is commonly used in both literal contexts, such as following someone, and figurative contexts, such as comparing two things. Additionally, it can indicate companionship or connection between subjects.

When to use 跟

Learners often confuse 跟 with the character 和 (hé), which also means 'and'. Remember that 跟 is used for direct companionship or following, while 和 is more for conjunction in lists. It is informal and commonly used in everyday speech.

跟 or something close to it

跟 (gēn) vs 随 (suí) — use 跟 for direct companionship or following, while 随 emphasizes a more passive or natural following.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 跟 to mean 'and' in all situations, which can lead to awkward sentences. For example, saying '我跟你和他' (wǒ gēn nǐ hé tā) instead of '我跟你一起和他' (wǒ gēn nǐ yīqǐ hé tā, 'I go with you and him').

Write 跟

跟

Practice writing 跟 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 跟

跟 functions as a preposition (often called a "coverb" in Chinese). It introduces a phrase that comes BEFORE the main verb (我在家吃饭, 给妈妈打电话), unlike English which puts prepositions after the verb. It carries 14 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The patterns below break down its most common sentence frames, with example sentences and practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) for each one.

Related grammar lessons6
是…的 emphasis是 + [V] + 的
HSK 3

...

这是跟他一起去的。

Zhè shì gēn tā yīqǐ qù de.

This is the one who went with him.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

爸爸____妈妈都不在家。

Neither dad nor mom is home.

Common Confusions with 跟

跟vs根
gēn

Both are pronounced the same, but have different meanings.

跟 is more colloquial and informal, while 与 is more formal and literary.

1

我跟他一起去。 vs. 我与他一起去。

跟 is more colloquial and informal, while 与 is more formal and literary.

💡Think of '跟' as a casual companion.
Exercise 1 of 1

Spot the Difference

Which character means "heel"?

or

Usage Notes for 跟

Misusing 跟 with other prepositionsCommon Error

跟 should be used to indicate accompaniment or comparison. Avoid using it where '与' or '和' is more appropriate.

1

我跟她去商店。

I went to the store with her.

Exercise 1 of 1

Fill in the Blank

我____她去商店。

I went to the store with her.

Example Sentences for 跟 (13)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
pheel10
1
不要那样跟我讲话。我不允许！

bù yào nà yàng gēn wǒ jiǎng huà。 。 wǒ bù yǔn！

Don't speak to me like that. Don't you dare.
2
他以前总是跟我唠叨必须获胜才行。

tā yǐ qián zǒng shì gēn wǒ lào tāo bì xū huò shèng cái háng。

He used to keep on at me about the need to win.
3
抓紧我的手，跟着我。

zhuā jǐn wǒ de shǒu， ， gēn zháo。

Just hold tight to my hand and follow along.
4
在校时我的数学跟不上。

zài xiào shí wǒ de shù xué gēn bù shàng。

I got left behind at school with the maths.
5
我真应该跟我这些愚蠢的朋友理论理论！

wǒ zhēn yīng gāi gēn wǒ zhè xiē yú chǔn de péng yǒu lǐ lùn lǐ lùn！

I shall have words with these stupid friends of mine!
6
跟我说说你的临床试验。进展如何？

gēn wǒ shuō shuō nǐ de lín chuáng shì yàn。 。 jìn zhǎn rú？

Tell me about your clinical trials. How did they go?
7
你可以跟着一起唱你最喜爱的“猫王”的热门歌曲。

nǐ kě yǐ gēn zháo yī qǐ chàng nǐ zuì xǐ ài de“ “ māo” wáng ” de rè mén。

You can sing along to your favourite Elvis hits.
8
也许你可以跟我讲一点关于她的事情？

yě xǔ nǐ kě yǐ gēn wǒ jiǎng yī diǎn guān yú tā de shì qíng？

Maybe if you tell me a little about her?
9
“上你自己的车，跟在我后面。”他命令道。

“ “ shàng nǐ zì jǐ de， chē ， gēn zài wǒ。” hòu miàn 。” tā。

"Get in your car and follow me," he com-manded.
10
你要对我有点儿耐心，弗兰克，让我跟你解释。

nǐ yào duì wǒ yǒu diǎn ér nài xīn， ， fú lán， kè ， ràng wǒ gēn nǐ。

If you'll bear with me, Frank, just let me try to explain.
pto follow closely3
11
小狗总是跟在主人的后面。

Xiǎo gǒu zǒng shì gēn zài zhǔrén de hòumiàn.

The puppy always follows closely behind its owner.
12
旅行的时候，我喜欢跟着导游走。

Lǚxíng de shíhòu, wǒ xǐhuān gēnzhe dǎoyóu zǒu.

When traveling, I like to follow closely behind the tour guide.
13
请跟着我，不要走丢了。

Qǐng gēnzhe wǒ, bùyào zǒu diū le.

Please follow me closely, don't get lost.

Cultural Notes for 跟

💡Did you know?

'跟' is often used in daily conversation to indicate companionship or association, similar to saying 'with' in English. It is common in phrases that involve going places together.

Word Family of 跟

Words Containing This Character20
跟gēnheel
跟踪gēnzōngto tail跟蹤
跟随gēnsuíto follow跟隨
高跟鞋gāogēnxiéhigh-heeled shoes
跟上gēnshàngto catch up with
跟进to follow跟進
紧跟to comply with緊跟
跟不上gēnbushàngnot able to keep up with
跟前gēnqiánthe front (of)
跟着to follow after跟著
跟人to marry (of woman)
跟班attendant
脚跟heel腳跟
跟头tumble跟頭
鞋跟heel (of a shoe)
站稳脚跟to stand firmly站穩腳跟
脚后跟heel腳後跟
跟从to follow跟從
翻跟头to turn a somersault翻跟頭
栽跟头to fall head over heels栽跟頭
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 跟 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 跟

While 跟 is primarily informal, it can be used in semi-formal contexts, such as conversations with acquaintances. However, in very formal writing or speeches, alternatives like 与 (yǔ) might be preferred.

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