Table of Contents

Grammar Point

跟 gēn … 一樣一样 yíyàng: The Same As

To compare two things in Chinese, you usually use 比 bǐ. But to say two things are the same, you don’t need 比 bǐ at all. Instead, use 跟 gēn or 和 hé with 一樣 yíyàng一样 yíyàng.

一 The Same: 跟⋯一樣一样

A + 跟 / 和 + B + 一样 / 相同

跟 gēn and 和 hé both mean “and” here, and both are everyday spoken Chinese. 一樣 yíyàng一样 yíyàng and 相同 xiāngtóng both mean “the same,” but 相同 xiāngtóng sounds more formal.

这个zhège字zì的de意思yìsi跟gēn那个nàge字zì一样yíyàng吗ma？

Does this word mean the same thing as that word?

我wǒ对duì他tā的de看法kànfǎ跟gēn你nǐ一样yíyàng

I feel the same way about him as you do.

我wǒ跟gēn我wǒ两liǎng个ge朋友péngyou的de名字míngzi相同xiāngtóng，因为yīnwèi我们wǒmen都dōu是shì菜市场càishìchǎng名字míngzi

Two of my friends have the same name as me, because we all have really common names.

他的tāde眼睛yǎnjing和hé他tā爸爸bàba的de相同xiāngtóng

He has the same eyes as his dad.

Market names菜市场名字 càishìchǎng míngzi (“market name”) is a name that’s super common. If you shout it out at a traditional market, two or three people will turn around! It’s like being one of five Jennifers in your class.

二 Different: 不一樣不一样 / 不同

To say two things are different, put 不 bù in front of 一樣 yíyàng一样 yíyàng. For 相同 xiāngtóng, just use 不同 bùtóng.

A + 跟 / 和 + B + 不一样 / 不同

我wǒ跟gēn我wǒ姐姐jiějie的de个性gèxìng不一样bù yíyàng

My sister and I have different personalities.

你nǐ跟gēn我wǒ的de想法xiǎngfǎ不同bùtóng，但是dànshì想法xiǎngfǎ没有méiyǒu好坏hǎohuài，只是zhǐshì不同bùtóng

Your ideas are different from mine, but ideas aren’t good or bad. They’re just different.

这zhè道dào菜cài和hé昨天zuótiān那nà道dào不一样bù yíyàng，这zhè道dào是shì四川菜Sìchuān cài

This dish is different from yesterday’s. This one is Sichuan food.

他的tāde中文Zhōngwén老师lǎoshī和hé我的wǒde不同bùtóng，我的wǒde比较bǐjiào好hǎo

His Chinese teacher is different from mine. Mine’s better. 😎

What about 不相同?Some textbooks say not to use 不相同 bù xiāngtóng and to say 不同 bùtóng instead. It’s not really wrong, and plenty of people say it, but 不同 bùtóng is much more common.

三 As… As: 一樣一样 + Adjective

A + 跟 / 和 + B + 一样 + Adjective

Add an adjective after 一樣 yíyàng一样 yíyàng to say how they’re the same: “as tall as,” “as spicy as.”

你nǐ爸爸bàba跟gēn你nǐ一样yíyàng幽默yōumò吗ma？

Is your dad as funny as you?

你的nǐde国家guójiā跟gēn台湾Táiwān一样yíyàng小xiǎo吗ma？

Is your country as small as Taiwan?

这zhè道dào菜cài和hé昨天zuótiān的de菜cài一样yíyàng辣là，你nǐ能不能néng bù néng做zuò不bú辣là的de菜cài？

This dish is just as spicy as yesterday’s. Can you make something that isn’t spicy?

你nǐ写xiě的de中国字Zhōngguó zì跟gēn毕加索Bìjiāsuǒ的de画huà一样yíyàng美měi

Your Chinese characters are as beautiful as a Picasso painting.

Taiwan writes Picasso as 畢卡索 Bìkǎsuǒ; mainland China writes it 毕加索 Bìjiāsuǒ. 🎨

A + 没 + 跟 + B + 一样 + Adjective

To say “not as… as,” put the negative word before 跟 gēn, not before the adjective.

我的wǒde中文Zhōngwén没méi跟gēn他tā一样yíyàng好hǎo吗ma？

Is my Chinese not as good as his?

他的tāde薪水xīnshui没méi跟gēn我wǒ一样yíyàng低dī吧ba？

His salary isn’t as low as mine, right?

Another wayYou’ll also hear A 没有 B 那么 + Adj. A méiyǒu B nàme + Adj. (“not as… as”) a lot. Learn more in this post.

四 Common Mistakes

❌ 我wǒ比bǐ他tā一樣yíyàng一样yíyàng高gāo

✅ 我wǒ跟gēn他tā一樣yíyàng一样yíyàng高gāo

比 bǐ is only for “more than.” For “as… as,” use 跟 gēn…一樣 yíyàng一样 yíyàng.

❌ 我wǒ跟gēn他tā不bù一樣yíyàng一样yíyàng高gāo

✅ 我wǒ沒méi没méi跟gēn他tā一樣yíyàng一样yíyàng高gāo

For “not as tall as,” the negative goes before 跟 gēn. (我跟他不一樣高我跟他不一样高 means “he and I are different heights,” which sounds a bit odd.)

❌ 我wǒ一樣yíyàng一样yíyàng跟gēn你nǐ

✅ 我wǒ跟gēn你nǐ一樣yíyàng一样yíyàng

English says “same as you,” but Chinese says “me and you the same.” 一樣 yíyàng一样 yíyàng goes at the end.

五 Practice

Tap the words below in the right order to build the sentence, then check your answer. If it’s wrong, you can try again as many times as you like, or hit “Show answer” if you get stuck. Careful: some tiles are traps and are not needed!

Question 1 of 10

“Learning English is as hard for me as learning Chinese is for you.”