Expressing "more and more" with "yuelaiyue"

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

Used with Verbs

Structure

Subj. + 越来越 + Verb + 了

Examples

• 我 越来越 喜欢 上海 了 。Wǒ yuèláiyuè xǐhuan Shànghǎi le.I like Shanghai more and more.
• 你 越来越 了解 我 了 。Nǐ yuèláiyuè liǎojiě wǒ le.You know me better and better.
• 我 越来越 理解 我 的 父母 了 。Wǒ 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.

• 我 越来越 不 相信 他 了 。Wǒ yuèláiyuè bù xiāngxìn tā le.I believe him less and less.
• 你 越来越 不 懂 我 了 。Nǐ yuèláiyuè bù dǒng wǒ le.You understand me less and less.

See also

• Expressing "the more... the more..." with "yue… yue…"
• "Along with…" Using "suizhe"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Common Chinese Patterns 330 (汉语常用格式330例) (pp. 295) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 153-4) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 288-9) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 238-9) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 185) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课下册） (pp. 340) [ →buy]