Prepositions: 同 & 与 (With — Formal)
引出对象：同¹、与¹
Use the formal prepositions 同 and 与 to indicate "with" or "and" in written and formal contexts
As prepositions, 同 and 与 are placed before the person or thing to indicate "with," similar to 跟 or 和. They are more formal and appear primarily in written language, speeches, and official contexts.
同 and 与 serve double duty — they can function as prepositions ("with") or conjunctions ("and"). As prepositions meaning "with," they are formal equivalents of 跟 and 和. 与 is slightly more literary than 同. Both are essential for formal writing but sound stiff in casual conversation.
Lesson Targets
Podcast
Podcast: Prepositions: 同 & 与 (With — Formal) (引出对象：同¹、与¹)
Listen to Jason & Amy explain the 引出对象：同¹、与¹ pattern
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Understanding 引出对象：同¹、与¹
You already know 和 and 跟 for "with" and "and" — they are the workhorses of everyday Chinese. Now meet their formal cousins: 同 and 与. When you read a newspaper headline like 中国与日本签署协议 (China and Japan sign agreement), 与 is doing the work that 和 does in conversation. Similarly, 同你一样 (same as you) is a more refined way of saying 和你一样 or 跟你一样. Think of it as a formality scale: 跟 (most casual) → 和 (neutral) → 同 (formal) → 与 (most literary). In this lesson we focus on their prepositional use — introducing the person or thing involved in an action. 同 often appears in fixed phrases like 同意 (agree, literally "same idea") and 同学 (classmate, "same study"). 与 appears in literary and news contexts where elegant phrasing is valued.
Key Points
- 同 (tóng) = "with" (formal preposition) — more formal than 和 or 跟.
- 与 (yǔ) = "with" (literary preposition) — the most formal option.
- Formality scale: 跟 (casual) < 和 (neutral) < 同 (formal) < 与 (literary).
- Common in official contexts: news, government documents, academic writing.
- 同 often appears in set phrases: 同意, 同学, 同事, 同时.
- 与 is standard in headlines and titles: 科学与技术 (Science and Technology).
- Do not use 同 or 与 in casual conversation — they sound unnaturally formal.
Chinese formal writing has a long tradition of using concise, elegant language inherited from classical Chinese (文言文). 与 is a direct survival from classical Chinese, where it was the standard word for "with" and "and." Using 与 correctly in formal writing shows mastery of register — a skill highly valued in Chinese education and professional life.
Key Vocabulary
Example Sentences
同你一样，我也是学生。
Same as you, I am also a student.
Formal comparison
你要与同学搞好关系。
You should maintain good relationships with your classmates.
我们公司与多家企业建立了合作关系。
Our company has established cooperative relationships with many enterprises.
Business/formal context
这个问题同经济发展有密切关系。
This issue is closely related to economic development.
他与世界各地的学者保持联系。
He maintains contact with scholars from around the world.
同以前相比，现在的生活好多了。
Compared with before, life is much better now.
同……相比 = compared with
这与我们的计划不符。
This does not match our plan.
Common Mistakes
Eating hotpot with friends is casual — use 和 or 跟. Using 与 for everyday activities sounds like you are writing a formal report about dinner.
Informal requests use 跟, not 同. 同 is for formal comparisons and written contexts.
For simple conversational statements, 和 is the natural choice. Reserve 与 for formal or literary contexts.
Practice Exercises
Tips & Tricks
Think of formality like dress codes: 跟 is jeans, 和 is business casual, 同 is a suit, and 与 is a tuxedo. Match the word to the occasion.
The phrase 同……相比 (compared with) and 与……有关 (related to) are extremely useful in essays and formal writing.
When reading Chinese news, notice how 与 replaces 和 — this is one of the fastest ways to identify formal register.
In daily life, stick to 和 and 跟. Save 同 and 与 for essays, presentations, and formal emails.
Homework
Rewrite five casual sentences that use 和 or 跟 into formal versions using 同 or 与. Then write three original formal sentences about international cooperation or academic topics using 与.