The word 跟随 is formed by combining two characters with closely related meanings to create a richer, more specific concept. The first character, 跟 (gēn), originally means "heel" and by extension conveys the idea of following closely behind someone, like walking at their heels. The second character, 随 (suí), means "to follow along", "to comply", or "to accompany", emphasizing a sense of going along with or adhering to something. When placed together, they reinforce and compound the core idea of "to follow", resulting in a term that vividly implies following closely in someone's footsteps, both physically and in principle.