Meaning of 跟随
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to follow
How to use 跟随
跟随 is a slightly formal verb for following a person, a leader, or a trend, and it often appears in writing, news, and stories. In casual speech people usually just say 跟 (gēn). Example: 他从小跟随父亲学画画。(Tā cóngxiǎo gēnsuí fùqīn xué huàhuà.) He has studied painting with his father since childhood.
跟 (gēn) has the foot radical 足 on the left, and it also means heel, so picture walking right at someone's heels. 随 (suí) appears in words like 随着 (suízhe, along with), so together 跟随 means to go along behind someone.
Common mistake: Learners often say 跟随我 in everyday speech where a native speaker would simply say 跟我来 (gēn wǒ lái, follow me), so 跟随 can sound stiff in casual talk. Also keep 随 in second tone (suí), not fourth tone like 岁 (suì).
跟随 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
跟 gēn · heel · 13 strokes
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随 suí · to follow · 11 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 跟随.
| 随便 | suíbiàn | as one wishes; as one pleases |
| 随时 | suíshí | at any time; at all times; at the right time; whenever necessary |
| 随手 | suíshǒu | conveniently; without extra trouble |
| 随着 | suízhe | along with; in the wake of |
| 随意 | suíyì | as one wishes; according to one's wishes |
| 随后 | suíhòu | afterward; later; subsequently; following that |
| 高跟鞋 | gāogēnxié | high-heeled shoes |
| 跟前 | gēnqián | the front (of); (in) front |
| 跟踪 | gēnzōng | to follow sb's tracks; to tail |
| 跟上 | gēnshang | to catch up with; to keep pace with |
| 追随 | zhuīsuí | to follow; to accompany |
| 伴随 | bànsuí | to accompany; to follow |
Questions about 跟随
What does 跟随 mean?
跟随 (gēnsuí) means "to follow" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 跟随?
跟随 is made of 2 characters: 跟 (13 strokes), 随 (11 strokes). That is 24 strokes in total.
Is 跟随 an HSK word?
Yes. 跟随 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 跟随 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 跟随 is written 跟隨.
What is the difference between 跟随 and 随着?
跟随 is a verb meaning to physically or figuratively follow someone, such as 跟随老师 (follow the teacher). 随着 is mostly used like a preposition meaning along with or as something changes, as in 随着时间的推移 (as time goes by).
Can 跟随 be used for following someone on social media?
Not usually. For social media, Chinese uses 关注 (guānzhù), as in 关注我 (follow me). 跟随 is for following a person, a path, or a leader.