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跟不上 (gēn bu shàng) — cannot keep up with (in pace or progress); cannot match (in ability or level)

Definition

跟不上 is a verb meaning 'cannot keep up with' in pace, speed, or level of progress. It is the negation of 跟上 — once a gap opens, 跟不上 describes falling behind.

verb
cannot keep up with (in pace or progress)cannot match (in ability or level)

Examples

  • ，跟不上。
    Tā pǎo dé tài kuài le, wǒ gēn běn gēn bu shàng.
    She runs too fast; I simply can't keep up.
  • ，跟不上。
    Zhè mén kè yuè lái yuè nán, wǒ yǒu diǎn r gēn bu shàng le.
    This course is getting harder, and I'm a bit unable to keep up.
  • ，跟不上。
    Nǐ shuō huà yǔ sù tài kuài, wǒ gēn bu shàng nǐ.
    You speak too fast; I can't keep up with you.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

跟gēnfollow
不上not up
不bùnot上shàngup
偏正Modifier + head

“跟” means follow, “不” means not, and “上” means up, giving the sense of being unable to keep up.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
足足zúfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
艮
艮gèn跟gēn
Same sound today

跟 is built from 足 (foot) plus 艮. The 足 part ties the character to foot-related senses, while 艮 gives the sound.

Open 跟 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

上 is drawn as a short horizontal line placed above a longer arc, marking a position above that arc.

Open 上 →

Grammar

Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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