Introduction
和 (hé) joins two nouns and stops there. 跟 (gēn) does something different: it goes in front of the verb and names the person you are doing it with, or the person you are saying it to. 我跟他说。(Wǒ gēn tā shuō.) — I'll tell him.
Overview
Structure: Subj. + 跟 (gēn) + Person + Verb
| Pattern | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 跟 + Person + 一起 + V | 我跟他一起去。(Wǒ gēn tā yìqǐ qù.) | I'm going with him. |
| 跟 + Person + 说 | 我跟他说。(Wǒ gēn tā shuō.) | I'll tell him. |
| 跟 + Person + 学 | 我跟他学汉语。(Wǒ gēn tā xué Hànyǔ.) | I learn Chinese from him. |
| Negative | 我不跟他去。(Wǒ bù gēn tā qù.) | I'm not going with him. |
| 跟 joining nouns | 我跟他都去。(Wǒ gēn tā dōu qù.) | He and I are both going. |
跟 (gēn) goes before the verb; the negative goes before 跟 (gēn):
- ✓ 我跟他说。(Wǒ gēn tā shuō.) — the person comes between 跟 (gēn) and the verb.
- ✓ 我不跟他去。(Wǒ bù gēn tā qù.) ❌ 我跟他不去。(Wǒ gēn tā bù qù.)
- 跟 (gēn) and 和 (hé) both join two nouns — 我跟他 (wǒ gēn tā) ／ 我和他 (wǒ hé tā) — but only 跟 (gēn) is at home in front of 说 (shuō)、学 (xué) and 一起 (yìqǐ).
- 跟……一样 (gēn… yíyàng) is the comparison you already know: 他跟我一样高。(Tā gēn wǒ yíyàng gāo.)
Examples
我跟朋友一起去看电影。
Wǒ gēn péngyou yìqǐ qù kàn diànyǐng.
I'm going to a film with a friend.
你跟老师说了吗？
Nǐ gēn lǎoshī shuō le ma?
Have you spoken to the teacher?
我跟他学做中国菜。
Wǒ gēn tā xué zuò Zhōngguó cài.
I'm learning to cook Chinese food from him.
我不跟他们去，我有事。
Wǒ bù gēn tāmen qù, wǒ yǒu shì.
I'm not going with them, I'm busy.
这件事我想跟你说一下。
Zhè jiàn shì wǒ xiǎng gēn nǐ shuō yíxià.
I'd like a word with you about this.
他跟我一样高。
Tā gēn wǒ yíyàng gāo.
He's the same height as me.
Usage Notes
- Two jobs, one word: together with — 跟他一起去 (gēn tā yìqǐ qù); and addressed to — 跟他说 (gēn tā shuō).
- 一起 (yìqǐ) is optional but very common in the first job, and it sits after the person, before the verb.
- With 学 (xué) the person is the source, not the companion: 跟他学 (gēn tā xué) means you learn from him.
- Any adverb or auxiliary goes before 跟 (gēn): 我想跟你说 (wǒ xiǎng gēn nǐ shuō)、我不跟他去 (wǒ bù gēn tā qù).
- 和 (hé) is the safer choice when you are only joining two nouns as a subject or an object; 跟 (gēn) is the one you need once a verb is involved.