跟 (gēn) means "with, to follow" with HSK 2 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: with
Other meanings:
- to follow
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
跟 is a phono-semantic compound and does not appear in oracle bone script. The left component 足 is the foot radical, anchoring the meaning to something done with the feet or legs. The right component 艮 supplies the phonetic in Old Chinese and is the same element found in 根 (root) and 很 (very), which share a similar historical pronunciation.
Form evolution
The character is attested from the clerical period onward with the same 足 + 艮 layout. Seal script forms of 艮 show a stylised eye over a turning figure, a shape that clerical script squared off into the modern 艮. Beyond this normalisation of 艮, the structure of 跟 has remained stable into modern kaishu.
How the meaning evolved
The original noun sense was 'heel', the back part of the foot, which is still the meaning in 脚跟 (heel) and 高跟鞋 (high-heeled shoes). From 'heel' it extended naturally to the verb 'to follow (at the heels of)', then to the preposition 'with, and' in northern colloquial speech (我跟你去). The modern spread of senses, from body part to conjunction, all radiates from the literal heel.
Cultural note
跟 as the coordinating 'and' (我跟他) is a northern Mandarin feature; southern speakers often prefer 和 or 同 in the same slot. Textbooks usually teach 和 first, so learners who move to Beijing are sometimes thrown by how often 跟 replaces it in everyday speech.
Basic info
| Pinyin | gēn |
| Meanings | with, to follow |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 2 |
| Frequency | #512 most common |
Example sentences
Words containing 跟
On the new HSK 2 exam
Studying for HSK 2? Keep 跟 with the rest of your level.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.