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 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:

我跟我男朋友去北京的。
Wǒ gēn wǒ nánpéngyǒu qù Běijīng de.
I went to Beijing with my boyfriend.

我跟我爸爸都是老师。
Wǒ gēn wǒ bàba dōu shì lǎoshī.
My father and I are both teachers.

你跟你的室友合得来吗？
Nǐ gēn nǐ de shìyou hédelái ma?
Do you get on well with your flat mates?

我喜欢学中国的历史跟文学。
Wǒ xǐhuan xué Zhōngguó de lìshǐ gēn wénxué.
I like studying Chinese history and literature.

As you can see, 跟 is simply used to link nouns together, where “with” or “and” might be used in English.

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:

我爸爸是老师，我也是老师。
Wǒ bàba shì lǎoshī, wǒ yěshì lǎoshī.
My father is a teacher; I am also a teacher.

我去问她了，她也不知道怎么办。
Wǒ qù wèn tā le, tā yě bù zhīdào zěnme bàn.
I went to ask her, and she didn’t know what to do either.

他也很帅。
Tā yě hěn shuài.
He is also good-looking.

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.