跟我来
gēn wǒ lái
The English phrase 'come with me' is expressed in Chinese as 跟我来 (gēn wǒ lái).
跟我来 is used as a request or command for someone to follow the speaker to another place.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of 跟, which means 'with' or 'to follow' in this context, 我, meaning 'me' and 来, which means 'to come'.
Which one should you use?
While 跟我来 implies following the speaker toward the speaker's current or intended destination, the phrase 跟我走 emphasizes the act of leaving a place or walking away together.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, the regional variation 跟我嚟 is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can soften the command into a suggestion or a more polite request by adding the particle 吧 to the end, resulting in 跟我来吧.
How do you pronounce it?
gēn wǒ lái
Did you know?
- When guiding a guest, a Chinese speaker may gesture with their entire open palm facing upward rather than pointing with a single finger, which can be seen as too aggressive.
- The word 跟 ('follow') originally depicted a foot and a string, symbolizing the act of following someone's footsteps or trailing behind.
- In Chinese, the word 来 ('come') is often used even when the speaker is moving away from the listener, as long as they are leading the way to a new destination.
Examples in context
- 他会跟我来。He'll come with me.Tatoeba #5617274 by verdastelo9604, translation #4764605 by Stalwartlover
- 现在就跟我来。Come with me now.Tatoeba #1783795 by sadhen, translation #1553527 by CK
- 我只要你跟我来。I just need you to come with me.Tatoeba #5663529 by verdastelo9604, translation #2372846 by CK
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A man and a woman are in a shopping mall.
- 志强 Zhiqiang跟我来，这儿有个好地方。Gēn wǒ lái, zhèr yǒu gè hǎo dìfang.Come with me, there is a good place here.
- 雨婷 Yuting去哪里？Qù nǎlǐ?Where are we going?
- 志强 Zhiqiang雨婷，跟我来买衣服吧。Yǔtíng, gēn wǒ lái mǎi yīfu ba.Yuting, come with me to buy some clothes.
- 雨婷 Yuting好啊，走吧。Hǎo a, zǒu ba.Okay, let's go.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
