跟 Stroke Order — How to Write 跟
跟 is written in 13 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 足, then complete the remaining strokes.
Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.
跟 Radical and Character Components
跟 is a phono-semantic compound: 足 (foot) carries the meaning, while 艮 indicates the sound.
Radical: 足 + 6 more strokes
跟 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- gēn
Meanings of 跟 in Chinese
1
gēn跟
The back part of the foot; heel.
我慢跑后脚后跟有点疼
My heel feels a bit sore after jogging.
The back part of a shoe or sock; heel (e.g., high heel, sock heel).
她今天穿了一双漂亮的黑色高跟鞋。
She wore a pair of beautiful black high heels today.
To follow closely; to track.
请你跟着我走。
Please follow me.
To catch up with; to keep up with; often used to express inability to keep pace or fall behind.
他最近工作太忙，有点跟不上进度。
He's been too busy with work recently, feeling a bit unable to keep up with the progress.
Used as a conjunction or preposition meaning 'with', 'and', or 'along with', indicating companionship or a relationship of joint action.
我明天跟朋友一起去看电影。
Tomorrow I'm going to the movies with my friends.
Used as a preposition, '跟' (gēn) means 'to' or 'with' when referring to communication or interaction with someone, similar to 'tell someone' or 'talk with someone'.
我会跟他说清楚的。
I will explain it clearly to him.
Common Words and Phrases with 跟
1
An attendant or follower, often serving or accompanying an official or a senior figure.
那位成功的商人身边总跟着几个跟班，帮他处理各种日常事务。
That successful businessman always has a few attendants with him, helping him manage various daily affairs.
2
A footman or attendant, especially one who manages costumes and handles various chores for an opera actor.
他年轻时曾是一名跟包，专门负责为著名京剧演员打理演出服。
When he was young, he worked as an assistant, specifically in charge of managing performance costumes for a famous Peking Opera actor.
3
An attendant or retainer who served officials in old times.
旧时，不少富裕人家出门时，身边都会带着几个跟差，以便随时差遣。
In olden times, many wealthy households would have several attendants accompanying them when they went out, ready to be dispatched at any moment.
4
To follow; to accompany.
小狗总是喜欢跟从它的主人，无论走到哪里。
The puppy always likes to follow its owner, no matter where they go.
5
The Achilles tendon is a strong tendon connecting the calf muscles to the heel bone.
运动员在训练中不慎拉伤了跟腱。
The athlete accidentally strained their Achilles tendon during training.
6
To fit one's feet perfectly (of shoes); to follow closely/immediately after (someone).
商店开门后，顾客跟脚而来，很快就排起了长队。
After the store opened, customers came one after another, and a long queue quickly formed.
7
8
To marry (of a woman); to be a servant for someone.
她已经跟人了，过上了安稳的日子
She has already gotten married and is leading a stable life.
9
To catch up with; to keep pace with.
他努力学习，希望能跟上最新的科技发展。
He studied hard, hoping to keep up with the latest technological developments.
10
To follow; to accompany as an attendant or subordinate.
小狗寸步不离地跟随在主人身边。
The little dog followed closely by its owner's side.
11
To keep up (with); to be in time.
你得抓紧时间，才能跟趟儿赶上末班车。
You need to hurry up to be in time to catch the last bus.
12
Gēntou refers to either turning a somersault or tripping and falling.
小狗在草地上跑得太快，一不小心就摔了个跟头
The little dog ran too fast on the grass and accidentally took a tumble.
13
To follow; to go after; to occur subsequently.
小猫喜欢跟着妈妈到处跑。
The kitten likes to follow its mother everywhere.
14
To follow or observe someone or something closely, often secretly or persistently.
侦探跟踪了嫌疑人一整天，最终找到了线索
The detective tracked the suspect all day and finally found a clue.
More words with 跟
- xié鞋gēn跟heel
- jǐn紧gēn跟Follow closely, Keep pace with
- jiǎo脚hòu后gēn跟heel
- xié鞋hòu后gēn跟heel, shoe heel
- shuāi摔gēn跟tou头to fall, to trip
- xì细gāo高gēn跟stiletto heels, stilettos
- zāi栽gēn跟tou头to stumble, to fall
- gēn跟fēng风Follow a trend, Jump on the bandwagon
- gāo高gēn跟xié鞋high heels, heels
- jiǎo脚gēn跟heel
- gēn跟zài在follow, be behind
- gēn跟bú不shàng上cannot keep up, fall behind
- gēn跟tā他with him, follow him
- gēn跟zài在hòu后miàn面follow behind, trail
- máng盲mù目gēn跟cóng从follow blindly, blindly conform
- máng盲mù目gēn跟fēng风follow the crowd, jump on the bandwagon
- xì细gāo高gēn跟xié鞋Stilettos, Stiletto heels
- dà大gēn跟tou头big fall, great tumble
- gēn跟suí随zài在follow, accompany
- gēn跟zhe着shuí谁Follow whom?, Who to follow?
Idioms with 跟
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Open the tool →Questions about 跟
What does 跟 mean in Chinese?
跟 (gēn) means “The back part of the foot” in Chinese.
How do you pronounce 跟?
跟 is pronounced gēn in Mandarin Chinese.
How many strokes does 跟 have?
跟 has 13 strokes.
How do you write 跟?
跟 is written in 13 strokes, starting from the radical 足. See the animated stroke order on this page.
What is the radical of 跟?
The radical of 跟 is 足, and 跟 is a phono-semantic compound.