Some people learning Mandarin Chinese can get the words 跟 (gēn) and 也 (yě)
confused, or use them incorrectly. The two words have related meanings and
functions, but they’re used quite differently. Here’s a quick explanation of the
differences between 跟 and 也.
跟 (gēn): “and”, “with” (conjunction)
跟 is a conjunction that
means “and” or “with”. It’s usually introduced in textbooks as meaning “with”,
but it’s more versatile than the word “with” in English. It is simply used to
link nouns together, like “and” in English. Because of that, it’s often
equivalent to the conjunction 和 (hé).
As with 和, you can’t use 跟 to link verbs or verb phrases. This is an important
point, and using 跟 or 和 to link verbs is a common mistake that people learning Mandarin
often make.
Always remember that you can only use 跟 to link nouns together. That is, it
links things not actions.
Have a look at some example sentences for 跟:
As you can see, 跟 is simply used to link nouns together,
where “with” or “and” might be used in English.
也 (yě): “also” (adverb)
也 is an adverb
meaning “also”, “too”, “as well”, “either” etc. Unlike 跟, it links verbs, verb
phrases and adjectives (remember that adjectives often behave like verbs in
Chinese). That’s the most important difference between 跟 and 也:跟 links nouns,
也 links verbs.
Have a look at some example sentences for 也:
A: 我喜欢炒饭。
Wǒ xǐhuan chǎofàn.
I like fried rice.
B: 我也喜欢。
Wǒ yě xǐhuan.
I like it too.
Notice how 也 always links verbs or adjectives, and 跟 always links nouns.
See also: