跟 meaning and stroke order
Heel; to follow closely; to go with
How to write 跟, stroke by stroke
13 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 跟
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- heel
- to follow closely
- to go with
- (of a woman) to marry sb
- with
- compared with
How 跟 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Foot.
足 gives the meaning and 艮 hints at the sound.
Radical: 足 (foot), shared by 119 characters on this site.
How to remember 跟
跟 is pictophonetic: the foot radical 足 on the left gives the meaning, and 艮 (gèn) on the right gives the sound. Picture your foot right behind someone's heel as you follow them.
跟 (gēn) is most often used as a preposition meaning "with," as in doing something with someone or talking to someone. It also works as a verb meaning "to follow," as in 跟着 (gēnzhe) and 跟上 (gēnshang). Example: 我跟朋友去吃饭。 (Wǒ gēn péngyou qù chīfàn.) I go to eat with my friend.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 跟 with 很 (hěn) or 根 (gēn, root), which share the 艮 part. Check the left side: 跟 has the foot 足, 根 has the tree 木, and 很 has the step radical 彳.
Common words with 跟
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 跟随 | gēnsuí | to follow | HSK 5 |
| 高跟鞋 | gāogēnxié | high-heeled shoes | HSK 5 |
| 跟前 | gēnqián | the front (of); (in) front | HSK 5 |
| 跟踪 | gēnzōng | to follow sb's tracks; to tail | HSK 7-9 |
| 跟上 | gēnshang | to catch up with; to keep pace with | HSK 7-9 |
| 跟不上 | gēn bu shàng | not able to keep up with | HSK 7-9 |
| 跟着 | gēnzhe | to follow after; immediately afterwards | |
| 跟进 | gēnjìn | to follow; to follow up | |
| 跟班 | gēnbān | attendant; footman (servant) | |
| 脚跟 | jiǎogēn | heel | |
| 紧跟 | jǐngēn | to follow precisely; to comply with | |
| 鞋跟 | xiégēn | heel (of a shoe) | |
| 跟踪器 | gēnzōngqì | tracker (device) | |
| 跟屁虫 | gēnpìchóng | lit. bum beetle; sb who tags along |
跟 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 跟
How many strokes are in 跟?
跟 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 跟 mean?
跟 (gēn) means heel; to follow closely; to go with. A common word with it is 跟随 (gēnsuí), meaning "to follow".
How do you pronounce 跟?
跟 is pronounced gēn, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 跟?
The radical of 跟 is 足, which carries the idea of "foot". Dictionaries list 跟 under this radical.
Is 跟 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 跟 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 跟 and 和?
Both can mean "and" or "with," and in many sentences they are interchangeable, such as 我跟他 or 我和他. 跟 is more common in spoken northern Mandarin, while 和 is a bit more neutral and is preferred for joining nouns in writing.
How do I use 跟 to compare things?
Use the pattern A 跟 B 一样 (yíyàng) to say A is the same as B. For example, 我的书跟你的一样。 (Wǒ de shū gēn nǐ de yíyàng.) means My book is the same as yours.