Level 1 · Beginner
Together: 跟 / 和 … 一起
A + 跟 / 和 + B + 一起 + Verb
To do something with someone, put 跟 or 和 + the person + 一起 in front of the verb: 我跟朋友一起吃饭 "I eat with friends". It's the reverse of English, where "with friends" trails at the end. 跟 and 和 are interchangeable here; 跟 is a touch more conversational.
When the whole group is already the subject, 一起 is enough on its own: 我们一起去吧 "let's go together".
Examples
我跟朋友一起吃饭。
我跟朋友一起吃飯。
wǒ gēn péng you yī qǐ chī fàn
I eat with my friends.
你想和我一起去吗？
你想和我一起去嗎？
nǐ xiǎng hé wǒ yī qǐ qù ma
Do you want to go with me?
他和妈妈一起住。
他和媽媽一起住。
tā hé mā ma yī qǐ zhù
He lives with his mom.
我们一起看电影吧。
我們一起看電影吧。
wǒ men yī qǐ kàn diàn yǐng ba
Let's watch a movie together.
Common mistakes
✗ 我吃饭跟朋友一起。
✓ 我跟朋友一起吃饭。
The "with whom" part comes before the verb, not after it like in English.
Related grammar points
See it in a story
Read this pattern in context: A Busy School Day (Part 1) · Who Will Take Care of Mifan? (Part 2) · The Old Photos (Part 2) — free graded stories with tap-to-reveal pinyin and translations.
