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

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<div class="liju">
 
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*汽油 <em>越</em> 来 <em>越</em> 贵。<span class="pinyin"> <em> </em> .</span> <span class="trans">Gasoline is getting more and more expensive.</span>
 
*汽油 <em>越</em> 来 <em>越</em> 贵。<span class="pinyin"> <em> </em> .</span> <span class="trans">Gasoline is getting more and more expensive.</span>
*北京 的 空气 质量<em>越</em> 来 <em>越</em> 差。 <em> </em> . </span><span class="trans">The air quality of Beijing is getting worse and more worse.</span>
+
*北京 的 空气 质量<em>越</em> 来 <em>越</em> 差。<span class="pinyin">  <em> </em> . </span><span class="trans">The air quality of Beijing is getting worse and more worse.</span>
*她 的 数学 成绩 <em>越</em> 来 <em>越</em> 好。 <em> </em> .</span><span class="trans">Her math grade is getting better and better.</span>
+
*她 的 数学 成绩 <em>越</em> 来 <em>越</em> 好。<span class="pinyin">  <em> </em> .</span><span class="trans">Her math grade is getting better and better.</span>
 
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<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
  
Subj. + 越 +  Adj. 1 + 越 +  Adj. 2
+
Subj. + 越 +  Adj. 1,越 +  Adj. 2
  
 
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* 挑战 <em>越</em> 大,我 <em>越</em> 兴奋。 <em> </em> .<span class="trans">The bigger the challenge is, the more excited I am.</span>
+
* 挑战 <em>越</em> 大,我 <em>越</em> 兴奋。<span class="pinyin">  <em> </em> .</span><span class="trans">The bigger the challenge is, the more excited I am.</span>
* 我 觉得 窗子 <em>越</em> 大 , 光线 <em>越</em> 好。 <em> </em> .<span class="trans">I think that the bigger the window is, the better the natural light is.</span>
+
* 我 觉得 窗子 <em>越</em> 大 , 光线 <em>越</em> 好。<span class="pinyin">  <em> </em> .</span><span class="trans">I think that the bigger the window is, the better the natural light is.</span>
* 工作 <em>越</em> 复杂 <em>越</em> 有趣 。 <em> </em> .<span class="trans">The more complex the work is, the more interesting it is.</span>
+
* 工作 <em>越</em> 复杂 <em>越</em> 有趣 。<span class="pinyin">  <em> </em> .</span><span class="trans">The more complex the work is, the more interesting it is.</span>
* 这 个 菜 <em>越</em> 甜 <em>越</em> 不 好吃 。 <em> </em> .<span class="trans">The sweeter this dish is, the worse it tastes.</span>
+
* 这 个 菜 <em>越</em> 甜 <em>越</em> 不 好吃 。<span class="pinyin">  <em> </em> .</span><span class="trans">The sweeter this dish is, the worse it tastes.</span>
  
 
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*你 <em>越</em> 小气,别人 就 <em>越</em> 讨厌 你。 <em> </em> .<span class="trans">The meaner you are, the more other people will hate you.</span>
+
*你 <em>越</em> 小气,别人 就 <em>越</em> 讨厌 你。<span class="pinyin">  <em> </em> .</span><span class="trans">The meaner you are, the more other people will hate you.</span>
*她 <em>越</em> 不高兴,就 <em>越</em> 不说话。 <em> </em> .<span class="trans">The more upset , the less she talks.</span>
+
*她 <em>越</em> 不高兴,就 <em>越</em> 不说话。<span class="pinyin">  <em> </em> .</span><span class="trans">The more upset , the less she talks.</span>
*你 <em>越</em> ,我 就 <em>越</em>  <em> </em> .
+
*你 <em>越</em> ,我 就 <em>越</em>  <span class="pinyin">  <em> </em> .</span><span class="trans"> .</span>
  
 
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*我 <em>越</em> 学习 中文,<em>越</em> 觉得 中文 很 难。 <em> </em> .<span class="trans">The more I study Chinese, the more difficult I think it is.</span>
+
*我 <em>越</em> 学习 中文,<em>越</em> 觉得 中文 很 难。<span class="pinyin">  <em> </em> .<span class="trans">The more I study Chinese, the more difficult I think it is.</span>
*<em>越</em> 批评 他,他 <em>越</em> 做 不 好。 <em> </em> .<span class="trans">The more he gets criticized, the worse he works.</span>
+
*<em>越</em> 批评 他,他 <em>越</em> 做 不 好。<span class="pinyin">  <em> </em> .<span class="trans">The more he gets criticized, the worse he works.</span>
  
 
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<div class="liju">
  
*他 <em>越</em> 喝 <em>越</em> 渴。<span class="trans">The more he drinks soda, the fatter he gets.</span>
+
*他 <em>越</em> 喝 <em>越</em> 渴。<span class="pinyin">  <em> </em> .<span class="trans">The more he drinks soda, the fatter he gets.</span>
*她 <em>越</em> 说 <em>越</em> 生气。<span class="trans">The more she talks, the angrier she gets.</span>
+
*她 <em>越</em> 说 <em>越</em> 生气。<span class="pinyin">  <em> </em> .<span class="trans">The more she talks, the angrier she gets.</span>
  
 
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*你 买 得 <em>越</em> 多 <em>越</em> 便宜。<span class="trans">The more you buy, the cheaper it gets.</span>
+
*你 买 得 <em>越</em> 多 <em>越</em> 便宜。<span class="pinyin">  <em> </em> .<span class="trans">The more you buy, the cheaper it gets.</span>
*你 说 得 <em>越</em> 慢,可能 我们 听 得 <em>越</em> 清楚。<span class="trans">The slower you speak, the more we'll probably be able to hear clearly.</span>
+
*你 说 得 <em>越</em> 慢,可能 我们 听 得 <em>越</em> 清楚。<span class="pinyin">  <em> </em> .<span class="trans">The slower you speak, the more we'll probably be able to hear clearly.</span>
* 吃 得 <em>越</em> 多 <em>越</em> 容易 胖。<span class="trans">The more you eat, the easier it will be to get fat.</span>
+
* 吃 得 <em>越</em> 多 <em>越</em> 容易 胖。<span class="pinyin">  <em> </em> .<span class="trans">The more you eat, the easier it will be to get fat.</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 02:42, 28 July 2016

"越 ... 越..." (yuè... yuè...) 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 来), and the more complex one (which uses two different adjectives/verbs).

Basic Structure with 越来越

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:

Subj. + 越来越 + Adj.

Examples

  • 汽油 贵。 . Gasoline is getting more and more expensive.
  • 北京 的 空气 质量 差。 . The air quality of Beijing is getting worse and more worse.
  • 她 的 数学 成绩 好。 .Her math grade is getting better and better.

Complex Structure with 越 ... 越 ...

This structure can be expanded further by replacing 来 with another verb. This expresses that one change causes another change. To be exact, there are four structures to use. (The examples make it clear how this works.)

Structure 1

Subj. + 越 + Adj. 1,越 + Adj. 2

Examples

  • 挑战 大,我 兴奋。 .The bigger the challenge is, the more excited I am.
  • 我 觉得 窗子 大 , 光线 好。 .I think that the bigger the window is, the better the natural light is.
  • 工作 复杂 有趣 。 .The more complex the work is, the more interesting it is.
  • 这 个 菜 不 好吃 。 .The sweeter this dish is, the worse it tastes.

Structure 2

Subj. + 越 + Adj. , 越 + Verb

Examples

  • 小气,别人 就 讨厌 你。 .The meaner you are, the more other people will hate you.
  • 不高兴,就 不说话。 .The more upset , the less she talks.
  • ,我 就 . .

Structure 3

Subj. + 越 + Verb , 越 + Verb

Examples

  • 学习 中文, 觉得 中文 很 难。 .The more I study Chinese, the more difficult I think it is.
  • 批评 他,他 做 不 好。 .The more he gets criticized, the worse he works.

Structure 4

Subj. + 越 + Verb , 越 + Adj.

Examples

  • 渴。 .The more he drinks soda, the fatter he gets.
  • 生气。 .The more she talks, the angrier she gets.

Complex Structure with Complement

You can also use "越...越..." with a complement. In this case, "越" has to follow the "得." This construction usually uses "State complements" and "Result complements".

Subj. + Verb 得 +越..., (Verb 得)越 ...

Examples

  • 你 买 得 便宜。 .The more you buy, the cheaper it gets.
  • 你 说 得 慢,可能 我们 听 得 清楚。 .The slower you speak, the more we'll probably be able to hear clearly.
  • 吃 得 容易 胖。 .The more you eat, the easier it will be to get fat.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books