跟/和…一样/不一样: same as/different from
The pattern A跟B一样 compares two things and says they are the same, and 跟 can be replaced by 和. Adding an adjective gives equal degree (一样好听), and 不一样 says the two are different.
Structures:
1. A + 跟 + B + 一样 (A and B are the same)
2. A + 跟 + B + 一样 + adj (A is as adj as B)
3. A + 跟 + B + 不一样 (A and B are different)
✅ 她的声音跟她妈妈的一样好听。(Her voice is as pleasant as her mother's.)
✅ 这里的冬天跟我家乡的完全不一样。(Winters here are totally different from my hometown.)
Contrast with 比:
- 跟…一样 adj = equal comparison (same degree)
- 比 adj = more/less (different degree)
❌ 他跟我一样高多了。(cannot add 多了 to 一样)
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 她的声音跟她妈妈的一样好听，让人听了很舒服。 | Tā de shēng yīn gēn tā māma de yī yàng hǎo tīng, ràng rén tīng le hěn shū fu. | Her voice is as pleasant as her mother's — very easy on the ears. | A 跟 B 一样 adj: equal comparison; no 多了/一点 can be added |
| 这两件衬衫的价格跟款式完全一样，只有颜色不同。 | Zhè liǎng jiàn chèn shān de jià gé gēn kuǎn shì wán quán yī yàng, zhǐ yǒu yán sè bù tóng. | These two shirts are identical in price and style — only the colour differs. | 一样 as predicate: A跟B一样 (= they are the same) without adj |
| 他的想法跟我的完全不一样，我们需要再讨论一下。 | Tā de xiǎng fǎ gēn wǒ de wán quán bù yī yàng, wǒ men xū yào zài tǎo lùn yī xià. | His ideas are completely different from mine — we need to discuss further. | 不一样 = different from; 完全 intensifies the difference |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
跟 (gēn)
Introduces the thing you compare with, like "as" or "with".
Structure: A + 跟 + B + 一样 (+ adjective)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 她的字跟老师写的一样漂亮。 | Tā de zì gēn lǎo shī xiě de yí yàng piào liang. | Her handwriting is as pretty as the teacher's. |
| 我跟他一样大，都是二十岁。 | Wǒ gēn tā yí yàng dà, dōu shì èr shí suì. | I am the same age as he is, both twenty. |
| 这个菜的味道跟我妈妈做的一样。 | Zhè gè cài de wèi dào gēn wǒ mā ma zuò de yí yàng. | This dish tastes the same as my mother's. |
Not: 他跟我一样比高。 Do not use 比 inside this pattern. Say 他跟我一样高.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 2, conjunctions (连接词或短语); level 2, prepositions (引出对象).
跟 is also explained in: Conjunctions: 和/跟 and Parallel Clauses (HSK 1).
一样 (yíyàng)
Says that two things are the same, or equal in degree when an adjective follows.
Structure: A + 跟 + B + 一样 (+ adjective)
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这两个杯子一样大。 | Zhè liǎng gè bēi zi yí yàng dà. | These two cups are the same size. |
| 他和他哥哥长得一样。 | Tā hé tā gē ge zhǎng de yí yàng. | He looks the same as his older brother. |
| 我们的老师和爸爸一样爱喝茶。 | Wǒ men de lǎo shī hé bà ba yí yàng ài hē chá. | Our teacher likes tea as much as my father does. |
Not: 他一样跟我高。 跟 + B comes before 一样: 他跟我一样高.
不一样 (bù yíyàng)
Says that two things are different.
Structure: A + 跟 + B + 不一样
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 南方人和北方人的口音不一样。 | Nán fāng rén hé běi fāng rén de kǒu yīn bù yí yàng. | Southerners and northerners have different accents. |
| 我的想法跟你的不一样。 | Wǒ de xiǎng fǎ gēn nǐ de bù yí yàng. | My idea is different from yours. |
| 今天的天气跟昨天不一样，更冷了。 | Jīn tiān de tiān qì gēn zuó tiān bù yí yàng, gèng lěng le. | Today's weather is not like yesterday's, it is colder. |
Not: 我们不跟他一样。 Put 跟 + B before the negative: 我们跟他不一样.
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
What this opens up
These patterns list 跟/和…一样/不一样 among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
Questions about 跟/和…一样/不一样
What does 跟…一样/不一样 (跟/和…一样/不一样) mean in Chinese?
The pattern A跟B一样 compares two things and says they are the same, and 跟 can be replaced by 和. Adding an adjective gives equal degree (一样好听), and 不一样 says the two are different. It is an HSK 4 grammar point.
How do you use 跟…一样/不一样 (跟/和…一样/不一样) in a sentence?
她的声音跟她妈妈的一样好听，让人听了很舒服。 — Tā de shēng yīn gēn tā māma de yī yàng hǎo tīng, ràng rén tīng le hěn shū fu. — Her voice is as pleasant as her mother's — very easy on the ears. A 跟 B 一样 adj: equal comparison; no 多了/一点 can be added.
What do you need to know before 跟…一样/不一样 (跟/和…一样/不一样)?
Comparison with 跟 (HSK 2). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
What does 跟…一样/不一样 (跟/和…一样/不一样) lead to?
Comparison Sentences (HSK 5). Each of them names 跟…一样/不一样 (跟/和…一样/不一样) among its own prerequisites.
Can I add 多了 or 很 after 一样?
No. 一样 means equal, so a gap word does not fit. Use 比 for a gap: 他比我高得多. Use 一样 for equal: 他跟我一样高.
跟/和…一样/不一样 is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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