Difference between revisions of "Expressing "more and more" with "yuelaiyue""

 
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{{Grammar Box}}  
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
  
越来越 (yuèláiyuè) is used frequently in Chinese to express that some quality or state is increasing with time, or in tune with another factor. There are two forms of this pattern, the "simple" one (using ), and [[Expressing "the more... the more..." with "yue… yue…"|the more complex one (which uses two different adjectives/verbs)]].
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越来越 (yuèláiyuè) is used frequently in Chinese to express that some quality or state is increasing with time and is often translated into English as "more and more." This is the simple form of this pattern, which uses 来, but there is also a [[Expressing "the more... the more..." with "yue… yue…"|more complex one (which uses two different adjectives/verbs)]].
  
 
== Used with Adjectives ==
 
== Used with Adjectives ==
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*天气 <em>越来越</em> 冷 了 。<span class="pinyin">Tiānqì <em>yuèláiyuè</em> lěng le.</span><span class="trans">The weather is getting colder and colder.</span>
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*天气 <em>越来越</em> 冷 <strong></strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Tiānqì <em>yuèláiyuè</em> lěng <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">The weather is getting colder and colder.</span>
*你 女儿 <em>越来越</em> 漂亮 了 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ nǚér <em>yuèláiyuè</em> piàoliang le.</span><span class="trans">Your daughter is getting more and more beautiful.</span>
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*你 女儿 <em>越来越</em> 漂亮 <strong></strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ nǚér <em>yuèláiyuè</em> piàoliang <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">Your daughter is getting more and more beautiful.</span>
*你 做 的 菜 <em>越来越</em> 好吃 了 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ zuò de cài <em>yuèláiyuè</em> hǎochī le.</span><span class="trans">The food that you cook is more and more delicious.</span>
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*你 说 得 <em>越来越</em> 好 <strong></strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ shuō de <em>yuèláiyuè</em> hǎo <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">You speak better and better.</span>
*技术 <em>越来越</em> 发达 了 。<span class="pinyin">Jìshù <em>yuèláiyuè</em> fādá le.</span><span class="trans">Technology is more and more developed.</span>
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*技术 <em>越来越</em> 发达 <strong></strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Jìshù <em>yuèláiyuè</em> fādá <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">Technology is getting more and more developed.</span>
*上海 的 房价 <em>越来越</em> 了 。<span class="pinyin">Shànghǎi de fángjià <em>yuèláiyuè</em> gāo le.</span><span class="trans">The housing price in Shanghai is getting higher and higher.</span>
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*空气 污染 <em>越来越</em> 严重 <strong></strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Kōngqì wūrǎn <em>yuèláiyuè</em> yánzhòng <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">The air pollution is getting worse and worse.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
Subj. + 越来越 + [Verb Phrase] + 了
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Subj. + 越来越 + Verb + 了
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
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*我 <em>越来越</em> 喜欢 上海 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yuèláiyuè</em> xǐhuan Shànghǎi <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">I like Shanghai more and more.</span>
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*你 <em>越来越</em> 了解 我 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>yuèláiyuè</em> liǎojiě wǒ <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">You know me better and better.</span>
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*我 <em>越来越</em> 理解 我 的 父母 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yuèláiyuè</em> lǐjiě wǒ de fùmǔ <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">I understand my parents more and more.</span>
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</div>
  
*我 的 学生 <em>越来越</em> 喜欢 上海 了 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ de xuéshēng <em>yuèláiyuè</em> xǐhuan Shànghǎi le.</span><span class="trans">My students like Shanghai more and more.</span>
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When the verb is negative in Chinese, a translation like "less and less" with a positive verb might be more appropriate in English than sticking with a "more and more" translation. The Chinese pattern doesn't change, though.
*我 女儿 <em>越来越</em> 爱 学 英语 了 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ nǚ'ér <em>yuèláiyuè</em> ài xué Yīngyǔ le.</span><span class="trans">I'm getting more and more homesick.</span>
 
*他 <em>越来越</em> 能 吃 辣 了。<span class="pinyin">Tā <em>yuèláiyuè</em> néng chī là le.</span><span class="trans">He's getting better and better at eating spicy food.</span>
 
*我 <em>越来越</em> 明白 他 说 的 那些 话 的 意思 了 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yuèláiyuè</em> míngbai tā shuō de nàxiē huà de yìsi le.</span><span class="trans">I understand more and more what he meant by saying those words.</span>
 
*有 了 孩子 以后,我 <em>越来越</em> 理解 我 的 父母 了。<span class="pinyin">Yǒu le háizi yǐhòu, wǒ <em>yuèláiyuè</em> lǐjiě wǒ de fùmǔ le.</span><span class="trans">After I have my own kid, I understand my parents more and more.</span>
 
  
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<div class="liju">
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*我 <em>越来越</em> <strong>不</strong> 相信 他 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>yuèláiyuè</em> <strong>bù</strong> xiāngxìn tā <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">I believe him less and less.</span>
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*你 <em>越来越</em> <strong>不</strong> 懂 我 <strong>了</strong> 。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>yuèláiyuè</em> <strong>bù</strong> dǒng wǒ <strong>le</strong>.</span><span class="trans">You understand me less and less.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
==See also==
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== See also ==
  
 +
*[[Expressing "the more... the more..." with "yue… yue…"]]
 
*[["Along with…" Using "suizhe"]]
 
*[["Along with…" Using "suizhe"]]
  
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
  
* [[Common Chinese Patterns 330 (汉语常用格式330例)]] (pp. 295) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7802006473/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=7802006473 →buy]
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{{Source|HSK Standard Course 3|40}}
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)]] (pp. 153-4) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276709/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276709 →buy]
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{{Source|Common Chinese Patterns 330 (汉语常用格式330例)|295}}
* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2]] (pp. 288-9) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276881/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0887276881 →buy]
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{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)|153-4}}
* [[Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide]] (pp. 238-9) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415700108?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0415700108 →buy]
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{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2|288-9}}
* [[New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3)]] (pp. 185) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/756191251X/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=756191251X →buy]
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{{Source|Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide|238-9}}
*[[40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课下册)]] (p. 340)[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FTL8D8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FTL8D8&linkCode=as2&tag=allset-20 →buy]
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{{Source|New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3)|185}}
 +
{{Source|40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课下册)|340}}
  
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
{{Similar|"Along with…" Using "suizhe"}}
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{{HSK|HSK3}}
{{Similar|"Even more" with "geng"}}
 
 
{{Basic Grammar|越来越|B1|Subj. + 越来越 + Adj. + 了|天气 <em>越来越</em> 冷 了。|grammar point|ASG7UE4H}}
 
{{Basic Grammar|越来越|B1|Subj. + 越来越 + Adj. + 了|天气 <em>越来越</em> 冷 了。|grammar point|ASG7UE4H}}
 
{{Rel char|越}}
 
{{Rel char|越}}
 +
{{Rel char|了}}
 +
{{Similar|"Along with…" Using "suizhe"}}
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{{Similar|Expressing "the more... the more..." with "yue… yue…"}}
 
{{Structure|Sentence Patterns}}
 
{{Structure|Sentence Patterns}}
{{Used for| Expressing quality}}
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{{Subprop|Basic/Simple Sentence Patterns}}
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{{Used for| Expressing degree}}
 
{{Translation|more}}
 
{{Translation|more}}

Latest revision as of 07:54, 4 March 2019

越来越 (yuèláiyuè) is used frequently in Chinese to express that some quality or state is increasing with time and is often translated into English as "more and more." This is the simple form of this pattern, which uses 来, but there is also a more complex one (which uses two different adjectives/verbs).

Used with Adjectives

This structure expresses that something is becoming more and more adjective over time, with the latter adjective changing with the verb. The most common structure is:

Structure

Subj. + 越来越 + Adj. + 了

Examples

  • 天气 越来越Tiānqì yuèláiyuè lěng le.The weather is getting colder and colder.
  • 你 女儿 越来越 漂亮 Nǐ nǚér yuèláiyuè piàoliang le.Your daughter is getting more and more beautiful.
  • 你 说 得 越来越Nǐ shuō de yuèláiyuè hǎo le.You speak better and better.
  • 技术 越来越 发达 Jìshù yuèláiyuè fādá le.Technology is getting more and more developed.
  • 空气 污染 越来越 严重 Kōngqì wūrǎn yuèláiyuè yánzhòng le.The air pollution is getting worse and worse.

Used with Verbs

Structure

Subj. + 越来越 + Verb + 了

Examples

  • 越来越 喜欢 上海 yuèláiyuè xǐhuan Shànghǎi le.I like Shanghai more and more.
  • 越来越 了解 我 yuèláiyuè liǎojiě wǒ le.You know me better and better.
  • 越来越 理解 我 的 父母 yuèláiyuè lǐjiě wǒ de fùmǔ le.I understand my parents more and more.

When the verb is negative in Chinese, a translation like "less and less" with a positive verb might be more appropriate in English than sticking with a "more and more" translation. The Chinese pattern doesn't change, though.

  • 越来越 相信 他 yuèláiyuè xiāngxìn tā le.I believe him less and less.
  • 越来越 懂 我 yuèláiyuè dǒng wǒ le.You understand me less and less.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books