跟 gēn
“heel; to follow closely; to go with”
preposition, verbHSK 3 · 2021 list level 1
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
跟 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 345: 跟 gēn — Level 2; official annotation 2（5） (介、连、（名、动）). PDF page 88
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 跟
跟 mainly means "heel," especially in the compounds 脚跟 (heel of the foot) and 鞋跟 (shoe heel). It is a noun/morpheme and is rarely used alone in everyday speech. The typical pattern is 脚/鞋 + 跟.
例句Example sentences
- 我的脚后跟很疼，可能是鞋子太小。wǒ de jiǎo hòu gēn hěn téng, kě néng shì xié zǐ tài xiǎo.My heel hurts; maybe the shoes are too small.
- 这双鞋的鞋跟太高，我穿不了。zhè shuāng xié de xié gēn tài gāo, wǒ chuān bù liǎo.The heels of these shoes are too high; I can't wear them.
- 他跑的时候不小心伤了脚跟。tā pǎo de shí hou bù xiǎo xīn shāng le jiǎo gēn.He accidentally hurt his heel while running.