跟随者 (gēn suí zhě) — follower (a person who follows another, a leade…

Definition

noun

follower (a person who follows another, a leader, or a trend)

Measure word · 个

跟随者。
Zhè wèi lǐng xiù yǒu hěn duō gēn suí zhě.
This leader has many followers.
跟随者。
Tā zài wǎng shàng yǒu shí wàn gēn suí zhě.
He has one hundred thousand followers online.
跟随者。
Zhè ge yùn dòng xī yǐn le xǔ duō gēn suí zhě.
This movement attracted many followers.

Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

跟随follow

联合Side by side

跟随 gives the action of following, and 者 points to the person who does it.

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

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.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 隨; 随 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辵辵chuòwalking

Sound part声符shēngfú

𡐦

𡐦𡐦隨suí

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 隨 pairs 辵 (walking) with 𡐦 (the sound part); the simplified 随 is a later shorthand.

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

The form 者 originally drew a sugarcane with full stems, small points around it, and an open smiling mouth at the bottom.