One of the meanings of 跟 (see pronunciation and definitions below) has to do with ‘following closely.’ When you add 不 and 上 after it, it means you can’t keep up. The sequence of tones (first tone ⇾ second tone ⇾ fourth tone) make it particularly easy to say and fit with the emotion of someone who is struggling with keeping up.
跟不上
ㄍㄣ ㄅㄨˊ ㄕㄤˋ
(gēn bú shàng)
follow closely + not + on top/to go up = can’t keep up
Since I frequently can’t keep up with my husband or kids, I had some fun using this phrase in the sentences below. But first some vocabulary that is relatively new to me or unique to these sentences.
體貼 ㄊㄧˇ ㄊㄧㄝ
分別 ㄈㄣ ㄅㄧㄝˊ
指點 ㄓˇ ㄉㄧㄢˇ
方向 ㄈㄤ ㄒㄧㄤˋ
萬一 ㄨㄢˋ ㄧ
爬山健行 ㄆㄚˊ ㄕㄢ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄒㄧㄥˊ
周到 ㄓㄡ ㄉㄠˋ
看顧 ㄎㄢ ㄍㄨˋ
唉呀 ㄞ ㄧㄚ˙
年青力壯 ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄑㄧㄥ ㄌㄧˋ ㄓㄨㄤˋ
狗鏈 ㄍㄡˇ ㄌㄧㄢˋ
拴住 ㄕㄨㄢ ㄓㄨˋ
先行離開 ㄒㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄌㄧˊ ㄎㄞ
難道 ㄋㄢˊ ㄉㄠˋ
甚至 ㄕㄣˋ ㄓㄧˋ
我的老公比我跑得很快。
(我的)(老公)(比)(我)[(跑)(得)](很)(快)
(ㄨㄛˇ ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄌㄠ ˇ ㄍㄨㄥ)(ㄅㄧˇ)(ㄨㄛˇ)[(ㄆㄠˇ)(ㄉㄜ˙)](ㄏㄣˇ)(ㄎㄨㄞˋ)
(wǒ de.)(lǎo gōng)(bǐ)(wǒ)[(pǎo)(de.)](hěn)(kuài)
(my)(husband)(to compare)[(to run)(particle connecting this verb to following description)](very)(fast)
My husband runs quite a bit faster than I do.
我常常跟不上！
(我)(常常)(跟不上)
(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄔㄤˊ ㄔㄤˊ)(ㄍㄣ ㄅㄨˊ ㄕㄤˋ)
(wǒ)(cháng cháng)(gēn bú shàng)
(I)(often)(can’t keep up)
I often can’t keep up.
不過我的老公很體貼。
(不過)(我的)(老公)(很)(體貼)
(ㄅㄨˊ ㄍㄨㄛˋ)(ㄨㄛˇ ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄌㄠˇ ㄍㄨㄥ)(ㄏㄣˇ)(ㄊㄧˇ ㄊㄧㄝ)
(bú guò)(wǒ de.)(lǎo gōng)(hěn)(tǐ tiē)
(however)(my)(husband)(very)(considerate)
However, my husband is very considerate.
他總是能幫我就跟在他後面。
(他)(總是)(能)(幫)(我)(就)(跟)(在)(他)(後面)
(ㄊㄚ)(ㄠㄨㄥˇ ㄕˋ)(ㄋㄥˊ)(ㄅㄤ)(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄐㄧㄡˋ)(ㄍㄣ)(ㄗㄞˋ)(ㄊㄚ)(ㄏㄡˋ ㄇㄧㄢˋ)
(tā)(zǒng shì)(néng)(bāng)(wǒ)(jiù)(gēn)(zài)(tā)(hòu miàn)
(he)(always)(to be able to)❶(to help)(me)(just)(to follow closely)(at)(him)(behind)
He always finds a way to help me follow closely behind him.
如果我們分別開兩部車去一個地方，
(如果)(我們)(分別)(開)(兩)(部)(車)(去)(一個)(地方)
(ㄖㄨˊ ㄍㄨㄛˇ)(ㄨㄛˇ ㄇㄣ˙)(ㄈㄣ ㄅㄧㄝˊ)(ㄎㄞ)(ㄌㄧㄤˇ)(ㄅㄨˋ)(ㄔㄜ)(ㄑㄩˋ)(ㄧˋ ㄍㄜ˙)(ㄉㄧˋ ㄈㄤ)
(rú guǒ)(wǒ men.)((fēn bié)(kāi)(liǎng)(bù)(chē)(qù)(yì ge.)(dì fāng)
(if)(we)(differently, separately, individually)(to drive)(two)(MW❷ for car)(car)(to go)(one + MW)(place)
If we drive in separate cars to one location,
他從不問我，
(他)(從不)(問)(我)
(ㄊㄚ)(ㄘㄨㄥˊ ㄅㄨˋ)(ㄨㄣˋ)(ㄨㄛˇ)
(tā)(cóng bù)(wèn)(wǒ)
(he)(never)(to ask)(me)
he never asks me,
「為什麼妳跟不上呢？」
(為什麼)(妳)(跟不上)(呢)
(ㄨㄝˋ ㄕㄣˊ ㄇㄜ˙)(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄍㄣ ㄅㄨˊ ㄕㄤˋ)(ㄋㄜ˙)
(wèi shén me.)(nǐ)(gēn bú shàng)(ne.)
(why)(you)(can’t keep up)(question particle)
“Why can’t you keep up?”
如果我沒跟上，
(如果)(我)(沒)(跟)(上)
(ㄖㄨˊ ㄍㄨㄛˇ)(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄇㄟˊ)(ㄍㄣ)(ㄕㄤˋ)
(rú guǒ)(wǒ)(méi)(gēn)(shàng)
(if)(I)(not)(follow closely)(to go up)
If I am not following closely,
通常他就會等一下，
(通常)(他)(就)(會)(等一下)
(ㄊㄨㄥ ㄔㄤˊ)(ㄊㄚ)(ㄐㄧㄡˋ)(ㄏㄨㄟˋ)(ㄉㄥˇ ㄧˊ ㄒㄧㄚˋ)
(tōng cháng)(tā)(jiù)(huì)(děng yí xià)
(usually)(he)(just)(will)(wait a moment)
he just waits a moment.
有時候他指點我方向萬一我迷路時知道怎麼走。
(有時候)(他)(指點)❸(我)(方向)(萬一)❹
(ㄧㄡˇ ㄕˊ ㄏㄡˋ)(ㄊㄚ)(ㄓˇ ㄉㄧㄢˇ)(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄈㄤ ㄒㄧㄤˋ)(ㄨㄢˋ ㄧ)
(yǒu shí hòu)(tā)(zhǐ diǎn)(wǒ)(fāng xiàng)(wàn yī)
(sometimes)(he)(to point out, to give directions)(me)(diretions)(ten thousand + one = just in case)
…..(我)(迷路)(時)(知道)(怎麼)❺(走)
……(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄇㄧˊ ㄌㄨˋ)(ㄕˊ)(ㄓ ㄉㄠˋ)(ㄗㄣˇ ㄇㄜ˙)(ㄗㄡˇ)
……(wǒ)(mí lù)(shí)(zhī dào)(zěn me.)(zǒu)
……(I)(to lose the way, lost)(when)(to know)(how)(to walk, to go, to move)
Sometimes he points out which way to go, so just in case I get lost I will know where to go.
我開車也比他慢，我會告訴他： 「我跟不上你啦！」。
(我)(開車)(也)(比)(他)(慢)
(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄎㄞ ㄔㄜ)(ㄧㄝˇ)(ㄅㄧˇ)(ㄊㄚ)(ㄇㄢˋ)
(wǒ)(kāi chē)(yě)(bǐ)(tā)(màn)
(I)(to drive car)(also)(compared to)(him)(slow)
…..(我)(會)(告訴)(他)
……(ㄨㄛˋ)(ㄏㄨㄟˋ)(ㄍㄠˋ ㄙㄨˋ)(ㄊㄚ)
……(wǒ)(huì)(gào sù)(tā)
……(I)(will)(to tell)(him)
……….(我)(跟不上)(你)(啦)
…………(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄍㄣ ㄅㄨˊ ㄕㄤˋ)(ㄋㄧˇ)(ㄌㄚ˙)
…………(wǒ)(gēn bú shàng)(nǐ)(la.)
…………(I)(can’t keep up)(you)(conversational sound)
I also drive a car slower than him, so I tell him, “I can’t keep up with you!”
我們跟孩子們爬山健行時，
(我們)(跟)(孩子們)(爬山健行)(時)
(ㄨㄛˇ ㄇㄣ˙)(ㄍㄣ)(ㄏㄞˊ ㄗ˙ ㄇㄣ˙)(ㄆㄚˊ ㄕㄢ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄒㄧㄥˊ)(ㄕˊ)
(wǒ men.)(gēn)(hái zi. men.)(pá shān jiàn xíng)(shí)
(we)(with)(children)(hiking in the mountains)(when)
When we go hiking with the kids,
我跟不上的時侯，
(我)(跟不上)(的時侯)
(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄍㄣ ㄅㄨˊ ㄕㄤˋ)(ㄉㄜ˙ ㄕˊ ㄏㄡˋ)
(I)(can’t keep up)(when)
and I can’t keep up,
他很周到地小心看顧我。
(他)(很)[(周到)(地)](小心)(看顧)❻(我)
(ㄊㄚ)(ㄏㄣˇ)[(ㄓㄡ ㄉㄠˋ)(ㄉㄜ˙)](ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄒㄧㄣ)(ㄎㄢ ㄍㄨˋ)(ㄨㄛˇ)
(tā)(hěn)[(zhōu dào)(de.)](xiǎo xīn)(kān gù)(wǒ)
(he)(very)[(considerate, attentive)(-ly)](carefully)(to watch over)(me)
he very considerately keeps an eye on me.
我們一起騎腳踏車時，我也比較慢，
(我們)(一起)(騎)(腳踏車)(時)
(ㄨㄛˇ ㄇㄣ˙)(ㄧ˙ ㄑㄧˇ)(ㄑㄧˊ)(ㄐㄧㄠˇ ㄊㄚˋ ㄔㄜ)(ㄕˊ)
(wǒ men.)(yì qǐ)(qí)(jiǎo tà chē)(shí)
(we)(together)(to ride)(bicycle)(when)
…..(我)(也)(比較)(慢)
……(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄧㄝˇ)(ㄅㄧˇ ㄐㄧㄠˋ)(ㄇㄢˋ)
……(wǒ)(yě)(bǐ jiào)(màn)
……(I)(also)(comparatively)(slow)
When we ride bicycles together, I am also comparatively slow,
唉呀！我又跟不上了。
(唉呀)！(我)(又)(跟不上)(了)
(ㄞ ㄧㄚ˙) (ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄧㄡˋ)(ㄍㄣ ㄅㄨˊ ㄕㄤˋ)(ㄌㄜ˙)
(āi ya.) (wǒ)(yòu)(gēn bú shàng)(le.)
(expression sound of frustration) (I)(again)(can’t keep up)
Argh! I again can’t keep up!
還好他們都會等我。
(還好)(他們)(都)(會)(等)(我)
(ㄏㄞˊ ㄏㄠˇ)(ㄊㄚ ㄇㄣ˙)(ㄉㄡ)(ㄏㄨㄟˋ)(ㄉㄥˇ)(ㄨㄛˇ)
(hái hǎo)(tā men.)(dōu)(huì)(děng)(wǒ)
(fortunately)(they)(all)(will)(to wait for)(me)
Fortunately, they will all wait for me.
現在我們的小狗年青力壯也比我跑得快很多，
(現在)[(我們)(的)](小狗)(年青力壯)
(ㄒㄧㄢˋ ㄗㄞˋ)[(ㄨㄛˇ ㄇㄣ˙)(ㄉㄜ˙)](ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄍㄡˇ)(ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄑㄧㄥ ㄌㄧˋ ㄓㄨㄤˋ)
(xiàn zài)[(wǒ men.)(de.)](xiǎo gǒu)(nián qīng lì zhuàng)
(now)[(us, we)(adjective marker) = our](small + dog = puppy)(young and vigorous)
…..(也)(比)(我)(跑)(得)(快)(很)(多)
……(ㄧㄝˇ)(ㄅㄧˇ)(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄆㄠˇ)(ㄉㄜ˙)(ㄎㄨㄞˋ)(ㄏㄣˇ)(ㄉㄨㄛ)
……(yě)(bǐ)(wǒ)(pǎo)(de.)(kuài)(hěn)(duō)
……(also)(compared to)(me)(to run)(particle linking verb to following)(fast)(very)(much)
Now our young, energetic puppy also runs much faster than me.
如果我不用狗鏈拴住牠，我一定跟不上！
(如果)(我)(不)(用)(狗鏈)❼(拴住)(牠)
(ㄖㄨˊ ㄍㄨㄛˇ)(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄅㄨˋ)(ㄩㄥˋ)(ㄍㄡˇ ㄌㄧㄢˋ)(ㄕㄨㄢ ㄓㄨˋ)(ㄊㄚ)
(ru gu)(wǒ)(bù)(yòng)(gǒu liàn)(shuān zhù)(tā)
(if)(I)(not)(to use)(dog leash)(to tether, to restrict)(it)❽
…..(我)(一定)(跟不上)
……(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄧˊ ㄉㄧㄥˋ)(ㄍㄣ ㄅㄨˊ ㄕㄤˋ)
……(wǒ)(yí dìng)(gēn bú shàng)
……(I)(certainly)(can’t keep up)
If I don’t have a leash restricting it, I certainly can’t keep up!
我老公告訴我他要比我先行離開這世界，
(我)(老公)(告訴)(我)(他)(要)(比)(我)
(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄌㄠˇ ㄍㄨㄥ)(ㄍㄠˋ ㄙㄨˋ)(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄊㄚ)(ㄧㄠˋ)(ㄅㄧˇ)(ㄨㄛˇ)
(wǒ)(lǎo gōng)(gào sù)(wǒ)(tā)(yào)(bǐ)(wǒ)
(my)(husband)(to tell)(me)(he)(to want)(compared to)(me)
…..(先行離開)(這)(世界)
……(ㄒㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄌㄧˊ ㄎㄞ)(ㄓㄜˋ)(ㄕˋ ㄐㄧㄝˋ)
……(xiān xíng lí kāi)(zhè)(shì jiè)
……(to precede in departure)(this)(world)
My husband tells me he wants to depart this world before me,
難道甚至這個我也跟不上？！
(難道)❾(甚至)(這個)(我)(也)(跟不上)
(ㄋㄢˊ ㄉㄠˋ)(ㄕㄣˋ ㄓㄧˋ)(ㄓㄜˋ ㄍㄜ˙)(ㄨㄛˇ)(ㄧㄝˇ)(ㄍㄣ ㄅㄨˊ ㄕㄤˋ)
(nán dào)(shèn zhì)(zhè ge.)(wǒ)(yě)(gēn bú shàng)
(don’t tell me, could it be?)(even)(this)(I)(also)(can’t keep up)
Don’t tell me that even in this I can’t keep up!?
Notes:
❶ Although the more literal translation of 能 ㄋㄥˊ (néng) is can, to be able, in this context it means that ‘somehow to figure out’.
❷ A common abbreviation for “measure word”.
❸ This word is very literal in its use of characters, using the character 指 for finger plus the character 點 that means dot or point.
❹ Just to clarify, I used my normal character + character notation for explaining the meaning here. So the character that means 10,000 put together with the character that means 1 is like saying one in a million chance, or ‘just in case’.
❺ In English we say ‘where to go’, but in Chinese the turn of phrase is ‘how to go’.
❻ The 看 in this word uses the first tone, as opposed to the fourth tone when using it for the common definitions of to see, to look at, to watch, and to read. By making it a first tone, it gives the meaning of looking after and taking care of kind of watching.
❼ Technically, the translation is “dog chain,” but like many times in English, although the material something is made out of changes, the word for it does not always change.
❽ Just a reminder that the pronoun for animals is gender neutral.
❾ The literal translation for these characters is “difficult path or way”.
