1. 跟 (gēn) – "with"
Use 跟 to join people together, like saying “with” someone.
Example:
张莉莉跟王建国一起工作。
(Lili works with Jianguo.)
BONUS: 跟 can also mean “and”, but only for people, not for things. It’s basically a social butterfly!
2. 和 (hé) – "and"
和 is your general “and”, used to link nouns together (people or things—but NOT sentences).
Example:
浩然和晓彤是同学。
(Haoran and Xiaotong are classmates.)
我和弟弟都学习中文。
(My little brother and I both study Chinese.)
HINT: 和 is polite and versatile, never jealous.
3. 还是 (háishi) – "or" (in questions)
还是 is your choice-making word! If you’re offering someone options (not talking about yourself), you need 还是.
Example:
你喝茶还是喝水？
(Do you want tea or water?)
NOTE: If you’re making a statement (not a question), there’s a different word (“或者”, but let’s save him for later!).
Summary Table:
Word Pinyin Meaning Example Translation 跟 gēn with (people) 莉莉跟妈妈去商店。 Lili goes to the store with mom. 和 hé and (nouns) 我和弟弟学中文。 My brother and I study Chinese. 还是 háishi or (questions) 你喜欢猫还是狗？ Do you like cats or dogs?
Now let’s see how our characters use these words—don’t worry, there won’t be a test from Grandma Xiulan… unless you get 0%!
1. 爸爸 妈妈都不在家。(Dad and Mom are both not home. (Hint: linking people))
2. 你喝茶 喝水？(Do you drink tea or water? (Hint: making a choice in a question))
3. 我 弟弟都学习中文。(My little brother and I both study Chinese. (Hint: linking 2 nouns))
4. 小彤 浩然是同学。(Xiaotong and Haoran are classmates.)
5. 莉莉 王建国一起上班。(Lili goes to work with Jianguo.)
6. 你喜欢苹果 香蕉？(Do you like apples or bananas?)
7. 奶奶 妈妈都喜欢做饭。(Grandma and Mom both like to cook.)
Bonus joke from Grandma Xiulan:
“Remember: If you use 和 in a question, 和 will get jealous… so always use 还是! 还是你最聪明！”