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 做 的 菜 越来越 好吃 了 。Nǐ zuò de cài yuèláiyuè hǎochī le.The food that you cook is more and more delicious.
• 技术 越来越 发达 了 。Jìshù yuèláiyuè fādá le.Technology is more and more developed.
• 上海 的 房价 越来越 高 了 。Shànghǎi de fángjià yuèláiyuè gāo le.The housing price in Shanghai is getting higher and higher.

Used with Verbs

Structure

Subj. + 越来越 + [Verb Phrase] + 了

Examples

• 你 好像 越来越 喜欢 上海 了 。Nǐ hǎoxiàng yuèláiyuè xǐhuan Shànghǎi le.It seems you like Shanghai more and more.
• 他 越来越 爱 吃 辣 了。Tā yuèláiyuè ài chī là le.He likes eating spicy food more and more.
• 有 了 孩子 以后，我 越来越 理解 我 的 父母 了。Yǒu le háizi yǐhòu, wǒ yuèláiyuè lǐjiě wǒ de fùmǔ le.After I have my own kid, 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.
• 我们 越来越 不 懂 你 了 。Wǒmen yuèláiyuè bù dǒng nǐ le.We understand you less and less.

See also

• "Along with…" Using "suizhe"

Sources and further reading

Books

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