‘跟风’ literally means ‘to follow the wind,’ but figuratively it describes the behavior of imitating or copying what others are doing—especially trends, fashions, or popular opinions—without independent judgment. The character 跟 (gēn) means ‘to follow,’ and 风 (fēng) here stands for ‘trend’ or ‘popular current,’ like a breeze sweeping through a crowd. Together, they evoke the image of people being carried along passively by prevailing social momentum.

This term is commonly used in commentary on consumer behavior, internet culture, media reactions, and even policy implementation—often with a slightly negative or critical tone, implying lack of originality or critical thinking. It appears frequently in news reports, editorials, and everyday conversation when describing herd-like actions, such as buying a new smartphone just because everyone else is, or launching similar startups after a single success story goes viral.