和 vs 跟: what is the difference?
Both mean 'and' between nouns. 和 is a little more formal; 跟 is more spoken and also means 'with', as in 我跟你去。
| Word | Pinyin | What it does | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 和 | hé | Joins two nouns or pronouns into one phrase, like 'and'; it sounds a little more written than 跟. | Noun + 和 + Noun |
| 跟 | gēn | Spoken word for 'and' between people or nouns, and also 'with' a person. | Noun + 跟 + Noun |
和 (hé)
Joins two nouns or pronouns into one phrase, like 'and'; it sounds a little more written than 跟.
Structure: Noun + 和 + Noun
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我和妹妹都喜欢猫。 | Wǒ hé mèi mei dōu xǐ huan māo. | My younger sister and I both like cats. |
| 桌子上有苹果和香蕉。 | Zhuō zi shàng yǒu píng guǒ hé xiāng jiāo. | There are apples and bananas on the table. |
| 他和我是同学。 | Tā hé wǒ shì tóng xué. | He and I are classmates. |
Not: 我吃饭和喝茶。 和 joins nouns only; to link two actions use a comma and 也, as in 我吃饭，也喝茶。
跟 (gēn)
Spoken word for 'and' between people or nouns, and also 'with' a person.
Structure: Noun + 跟 + Noun
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 爸爸跟妈妈在家。 | Bà ba gēn mā ma zài jiā. | Dad and Mom are at home. |
| 我跟朋友去看电影。 | Wǒ gēn péng you qù kàn diàn yǐng. | I am going to the movies with a friend. |
| 老师跟学生都在教室里。 | Lǎo shī gēn xué sheng dōu zài jiào shì lǐ. | The teacher and the students are all in the classroom. |
Not: 我们喝茶跟吃饭。 跟 is like 和: it joins nouns, not two verb phrases.
Where this comes from
The comparison is part of Conjunctions: 和/跟 and Parallel Clauses (HSK 1) in the grammar reference, which has the full explanation, more worked examples, and what to learn before and after it.
More pairs: 不会 vs 不能 · 想 vs 要 · 在 vs 有 · all 81 pairs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 和 and 跟?
Both mean 'and' between nouns. 和 is a little more formal; 跟 is more spoken and also means 'with', as in 我跟你去。
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