跟

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heel; to follow closely; to go with; (of a woman) to marry sb; with; compared with; to; towards; and (joining two nouns)

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

足 meaning “foot” + 艮 sound ( gèn )

Components 足艮

heel · Heisig RSH #1143

wooden leg + silver

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
好男不跟女斗	hǎo nán bù gēn nǚ dòu	a real man doesn't fight with womenfolk (idiom)
跟不上	gēn bu shàng	not able to keep up with
打跟头	dǎ gēn tou	to turn a somersault; to turn head over heels
后跟提带	hòu gēn tí dài	backstrap (of a shoe)
脚后跟	jiǎo hòu gēn	heel
跟头虫	gēn tou chóng	wriggler; mosquito larva
脚跟脚	jiǎo gēn jiǎo	one closely following the other
折跟头	zhē gēn tou	to do a somersault; to turn head over heels
跟团游	gēn tuán yóu	to travel in a tour group
翻跟头	fān gēn tou	to turn a somersault
跟人	gēn rén	to marry (of woman)
跟头	gēn tou	tumble; somersault
跟上	gēn shàng	to catch up with; to keep pace with
跟手	gēn shǒu	(coll.) while doing it; on the way through; (coll.) immediately; at once; (of a touch scre…
跟风	gēn fēng	to follow the trend; to jump on the bandwagon
后跟	hòu gēn	heel (part of a foot); heel (of a sock); counter (the part of a shoe that cups the back of…
跟前	gēn qián	the front (of); (in) front; (in) sb's presence; just before (a date)
跟前	gēn qian	(of children, parents etc) at one's side; living with one
高跟鞋	gāo gēn xié	high-heeled shoes
跟包	gēn bāo	to work as footman; to do odd jobs; to understudy (an opera actor)

Characters sharing the sound component 艮 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
艮 sound part	gèn	blunt; tough, chewy
眼	yǎn	eyelet, hole, opening
根	gēn	root, basis, foundation
银	yín	silver; cash, money, wealth
退	tuì	to retreat, to step back, to withdraw
限	xiàn	boundary, limit, line
恨	hèn	to dislike, to hate, to resent
痕	hén	scar, mark; vestige, trace
龈	yín	gums
狠	hěn	vicious, fierce, cruel
垦	kěn	to cultivate, to farm; to reclaim
恳	kěn	sincere, earnest, cordial
垠	yín	boundary, river bank
哏	gén	the clamor of an argument; funny; odd
很	hěn	very, quite, much
茛	gèn	ranunculus
裉	kèn	a garment seam