Learn a Chinese Character - 跟 (Gēn - Follow)

1. Character Basics

Radical: 足 (zú, foot, indicates related to feet or walking)

Stroke Count: 13

Stroke Order:

Structure Analysis: Left-right structure. The left part "足" (foot) is the semantic component, and the right part "艮" (gèn, stop) is the phonetic component.

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: Gēn (First tone)

3. Meaning

Core Meaning: To follow; to walk behind; heel; with; and; to be the same as

Explanation: Primarily means to follow someone or something. It can also be used as a preposition meaning "with" or "and", and as a noun referring to the heel of the foot.

4. Common Words

• 跟随 (gēn suí) - To follow; To go after
  Example: 我跟随老师学习。(Wǒ gēn suí lǎo shī xué xí.) - I follow the teacher to study.
• 跟着 (gēn zhe) - To follow; To be with
  Example: 请跟着我走。(Qǐng gēn zhe wǒ zǒu.) - Please follow me.
• 脚跟 (jiǎo gēn) - Heel
  Example: 我的脚跟很疼。(Wǒ de jiǎo gēn hěn téng.) - My heel hurts.
• 跟踪 (gēn zōng) - To follow; To track
  Example: 警察跟踪嫌疑人。(Jǐng chá gēn zōng xián yí rén.) - The police tracked the suspect.
• 跟从 (gēn cóng) - To follow; To obey
  Example: 他决定跟从自己的内心。(Tā jué dìng gēn cóng zì jǐ de nèi xīn.) - He decided to follow his heart.

5. Grammar & Usage

Part of Speech: Verb; Preposition; Noun

Usage Patterns:

• As a verb (to follow):
  Example: 他跟着父母去公园。(Tā gēn zhe fù mǔ qù gōng yuán.) - He follows his parents to the park.
• As a preposition (with, and):
  Example: 我想跟你说话。(Wǒ xiǎng gēn nǐ shuō huà.) - I want to talk with you.
• As a noun (heel):
  Example: 她穿着高跟鞋。(Tā chuān zhe gāo gēn xié.) - She is wearing high-heeled shoes.

Common Collocations:

• 跟头 (gēn tou) - Somersault; Fall
• 跟斗 (gēn dǒu) - Somersault
• 跟屁虫 (gēn pì chóng) - Tagalong; Follower (colloquial)
• 跟手 (gēn shǒu) - Immediately; Right away

6. Cultural Background

The character "跟" (gēn) reflects important aspects of Chinese social interactions and cultural values related to relationships and hierarchy.

Cultural Significance:

• In Chinese culture, the concept of "跟随" (following) has traditionally been associated with respect for authority and elders.
• The phrase "跟领导走" (follow the leader)体现了中国文化中重视集体和服从的价值观。(tǐ xiàn le zhōng guó wén huà zhōng zhòng shì jí tǐ hé fú cóng de jià zhí guān.) - "Following the leader" reflects the values of collectivism and obedience in Chinese culture.
• The verb "跟" is often used in social contexts to indicate companionship and connection between people.

Historical Context: The character has ancient origins, originally referring to the heel of the foot, and later developing metaphorical meanings related to following.

Modern Usage: In contemporary Chinese, "跟" remains one of the most commonly used characters, particularly in spoken language, to indicate following or being with someone.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

• Component Association: Remember that "跟" consists of "足" (foot) and "艮" (stop). Think of walking with your foot following behind.
• Image Association: Visualize someone following another person to remember the meaning of "to follow".
• Sound Association: The pronunciation "gēn" sounds similar to "根" (root), but they have different meanings. Remember the difference by their radicals.
• Common Phrases: Practice using "跟" in common phrases like "跟着我" (follow me) and "跟你" (with you) to remember its usage.