beginnerA1 · TOCFL a1preposition coverbfunction word
跟
Pattern
Subject + 跟 + person + action
Key words
Core idea
跟 introduces the person someone does an action with. The companion phrase comes before the main action.
This is useful for going somewhere with someone, eating with someone, studying with someone, or doing another shared activity.
Word order note
Do not place the companion phrase at the end just because English often says “with my friend” after the verb phrase. In Mandarin, 跟 plus the companion usually comes before the action.
Examples
我跟朋友去学校。
Wǒ gēn péngyou qù xuéxiào.
I go to school with a friend.
她跟妈妈喝茶。
Tā gēn māma hē chá.
She drinks tea with her mom.
你要跟我们吃饭吗？
Nǐ yào gēn wǒmen chīfàn ma?
Do you want to eat with us?
Common mistakes
Avoid
我去学校跟朋友。
Use
我跟朋友去学校。
Put 跟 plus the companion before the action phrase.