Saying 'More and More' with 越来越 (yuè lái yuè)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use {越来越|yuè lái yuè} + [adjective/verb] to describe something that is constantly increasing or changing over time.
- Place {越来越|yuè lái yuè} directly before the adjective or psychological verb.
- It expresses a natural, ongoing change, not a sudden one.
- Do not use 'very' ({很|hěn}) with this structure; the 'more and more' implies the intensity already.
Overview
The Chinese grammar pattern 越来越 (yuè lái yuè) is your primary tool for expressing progressive, continuous change. It translates directly to the English concept of “more and more” or “increasingly.” This structure allows you to move beyond simple, static statements (e.g., "The weather is cold") and describe how things are evolving over time (e.g., "The weather is getting colder and colder"). It is one of the most fundamental and frequently used patterns in modern Mandarin, essential for describing trends, personal development, and shifting feelings.
To understand its logic, let's break down the characters. 越 (yuè) means “to exceed” or “to surpass.” 来 (lái) means “to come.” When you combine them into 越来越, the literal, poetic meaning is that “as time comes, [the quality] increasingly surpasses its previous state.” It paints a picture of a quality intensifying with the forward march of time. This concept of dynamic change is central to the Chinese language, and mastering 越来越 is a critical step for any learner, even at the A1 level, to sound more natural and descriptive.
For instance, a beginner might say 我的中文很好 (Wǒ de Zhōngwén hěn hǎo) which means "My Chinese is very good." While grammatically correct, it's a snapshot in time. Using 越来越 elevates this observation: 我的中文越来越好了 (Wǒ de Zhōngwén yuè lái yuè hǎo le). This now means "My Chinese is getting better and better," showing progress and dynamism.
This simple addition transforms your expressive ability, enabling you to narrate the changes you see in yourself and the world around you.
How This Grammar Works
越来越 (yuè lái yuè) functions as a degree adverbial. Its job is to modify the intensity of a quality or a state. It is always placed directly before the word that describes this changing state.越来越 can be used with almost any adjective to show that the degree of that quality is increasing. These adjectives can be single-syllable, like 冷 (lěng) (cold) and 热 (rè) (hot), or multi-syllable, like 漂亮 (piàoliang) (beautiful) and 有意思 (yǒuyìsi) (interesting).冬天快到了，天气越来越冷了。
Dōngtiān kuài dào le, tiānqì yuè lái yuè lěng le.这个故事越来越有意思了。
Zhège gùshi yuè lái yuè yǒuyìsi le.越来越 can modify a category of verbs known as stative or mental verbs. These are verbs that describe a state of being, a feeling, a thought, or a perception. Common examples include 喜欢 (xǐhuān) (to like), 讨厌 (tàoyàn) (to dislike), 了解 (liǎojiě) (to understand), 担心 (dānxīn) (to worry), and 觉得 (juéde) (to feel/think).越来越 because the states they describe are gradable—you can like something a little, a lot, or more and more.我越来越喜欢中国菜了。
Wǒ yuè lái yuè xǐhuān Zhōngguó cài le.他越来越了解自己的工作了。
Tā yuè lái yuè liǎojiě zìjǐ de gōngzuò le.越来越 Cannot Modify: Action Verbs越来越 cannot directly modify action verbs like 吃 (chī) (to eat), 跑 (pǎo) (to run), or 写 (xiě) (to write). These verbs describe discrete actions or events, not continuous states that can intensify in degree. You don't “increasingly eat” in the same way you “increasingly like” something.了 (le)了 (le) at the end of most sentences using 越来越. This 了 is not the 了 that indicates past tense. Here, it is the modal particle 了, which signals a change of state or the emergence of a new situation.越来越 has reached a noticeable point or has become a new reality. While sentences without 了 are sometimes possible in formal or written contexts, in spoken Chinese, its inclusion makes the sentence sound complete and natural. Think of it as the confirmation that the described trend is actively happening.Formation Pattern
越来越 is rigid but simple to learn. The pattern is always placed directly before the adjective or mental verb. The optional 了 (le) at the end completes the thought, indicating a new state has emerged.
越来越 + Adjective + (了)
咖啡 (kāfēi) | kāfēi | Coffee |
越来越 | The intensifying adverbial. | 越来越 (yuè lái yuè) | yuè lái yuè | more and more / increasingly |
贵 (guì) | guì | expensive |
了 | Modal particle indicating change of state. | 了 (le) | le | (signals change has become apparent) |
现在机票越来越贵了。
Xiànzài jīpiào yuè lái yuè guì le.
你的发音越来越标准了。
Nǐ de fāyīn yuè lái yuè biāozhǔn le.
我们住的地方离市中心越来越远了。
Wǒmen zhù de dìfang lí shìzhōngxīn yuè lái yuè yuǎn le.
越来越 + Mental Verb + (Object) + (了)
我越来越觉得学汉字很有趣。
Wǒ yuè lái yuè juéde xué Hànzì hěn yǒuqù.
她越来越习惯这里的生活了。
Tā yuè lái yuè xíguàn zhèlǐ de shēnghuó le.
孩子们越来越不怕跟陌生人说话了。
Háizimen yuè lái yuè bù pà gēn mòshēngrén shuōhuà le.
不 (bù) after 越来越 and before the adjective or verb. It's a common mistake to place 不 before 越来越.
越来越 + 不 + Adjective / Mental Verb + (了)
我觉得这个牌子的手机越来越不好用了。
Wǒ juéde zhège páizi de shǒujī yuè lái yuè bù hǎo yòng le.
他的身体越来越差了。 (Instead of 越来越不好了)
Tā de shēntǐ yuè lái yuè chà le.
When To Use It
越来越 whenever you want to describe a quality or state that is changing gradually and continuously. It's an incredibly versatile pattern applicable in many contexts.用现金的人越来越少了。
Yòng xiànjīn de rén yuè lái yuè shǎo le.夏天到了，白天越来越长了。
Xiàtiān dào le, báitiān yuè lái yuè cháng le.越来越 to talk about acquiring skills, changing physical appearance, or emotional growth. It's ideal for describing progress in your language learning journey.练习得多了，我的口语越来越流利了。
Liànxí de duō le, wǒ de kǒuyǔ yuè lái yuè liúlì le.毕业以后，他看起来越来越成熟了。
Bìyè yǐhòu, tā kànqǐlái yuè lái yuè chéngshú le.我以前觉得古典音乐很无聊，现在越来越喜欢了。
Wǒ yǐqián juéde gǔdiǎn yīnyuè hěn wúliáo, xiànzài yuè lái yuè xǐhuān le.刚来中国的时候，我觉得菜都太辣了，现在越来越习惯了。
Gāng lái Zhōngguó de shíhou, wǒ juéde cài dōu tài là le, xiànzài yuè lái yuè xíguàn le.- On social media (WeChat Moments/朋友圈): (Posting a photo of a pet)
我的猫越来越胖了，怎么办？(My cat is getting fatter and fatter, what should I do?) - In casual conversation:
最近工作越来越忙了，都没时间休息。(Work has been getting busier and busier recently, I have no time to rest.) - In a work email:
我们项目的目标越来越明确了。(Our project's objectives are becoming clearer and clearer.)
Common Mistakes
越来越. Pay close attention to these points to avoid typical pitfalls.越来越 with Action Verbs越来越 directly before an action verb.- Incorrect:
我越来越跑。(I increasingly run.)
得 + 越来越 + Adjective.- Correct:
他跑步跑得越来越快了。
Tā pǎobù pǎo de yuè lái yuè kuài le.- Correct:
你说中文说得越来越地道了。
Nǐ shuō Zhōngwén shuō de yuè lái yuè dìdao le.越来越 is fixed. It must come directly before the adjective or mental verb it modifies.- Incorrect:
天气热越来越了。 - Correct:
天气越来越热了。(Tiānqì yuè lái yuè rè le.)
- Incorrect:
我喜欢越来越我的工作。 - Correct:
我越来越喜欢我的工作了。(Wǒ yuè lái yuè xǐhuān wǒ de gōngzuò le.)
越来越 with 更 (gèng) and 越 A 越 B越来越 | A single quality changes continuously over time. | 天气越来越冷了。 Tiānqì yuè lái yuè lěng le. | The weather is getting colder and colder. (A dynamic trend) |更 (gèng) | A static comparison between two things or two points in time; "even more." | 今天比昨天更冷。 Jīntiān bǐ zuótiān gèng lěng. | Today is even colder than yesterday. (A is more X than B) |越 A 越 B | A cause-and-effect relationship; two qualities change in parallel. | 天气越冷，我越不想出门。 Tiānqì yuè lěng, wǒ yuè bùxiǎng chūmén. | The colder the weather gets, the less I want to go out. (A causes B) |越来越 shows a trend over time, 更 makes a specific comparison, and 越 A 越 B links two changing things together.Common Collocations
越来越 with the right words will make your Chinese sound much more natural. Here is a list of common and useful collocations.越来越喜欢 (xǐhuān): to like more and more越来越讨厌 (tàoyàn): to dislike/hate more and more越来越担心 (dānxīn): to worry more and more越来越习惯 (xíguàn): to get used to more and more越来越觉得 (juéde): to feel/think more and more
越来越好 (hǎo): better and better越来越差 (chà): worse and worse越来越多 (duō): more and more (in quantity)越来越少 (shǎo): fewer and fewer越来越贵 (guì): more and more expensive越来越便宜 (piányi): cheaper and cheaper越来越快/慢 (kuài/màn): faster/slower and slower
越来越漂亮 (piàoliang): more and more beautiful越来越帅 (shuài): more and more handsome越来越胖/瘦 (pàng/shòu): fatter/thinner and fatter/thinner越来越年轻/老 (niánqīng/lǎo): younger/older and younger/older越来越成熟 (chéngshú): more and more mature
越来越重要 (zhòngyào): more and more important越来越明显 (míngxiǎn): more and more obvious越来越清楚 (qīngchu): clearer and clearer越来越复杂/简单 (fùzá/jiǎndān): more and more complex/simple
越来越流利 (liúlì): more and more fluent越来越熟练 (shúliàn): more and more skilled/proficient
Quick FAQ
越来越 with two-syllable adjectives like 漂亮 (piàoliang) or is it just for single-syllable ones like 好 (hǎo)?Yes, absolutely. 越来越 works perfectly with adjectives of any length. Both 她越来越高了 (Tā yuè lái yuè gāo le) (She's getting taller and taller) and 她越来越漂亮了 (Tā yuè lái yuè piàoliang le) (She's getting more and more beautiful) are correct and common.
越来越 and 越...越... again, in simple terms?Think of it this way: 越来越 is for one thing changing over time (e.g., The weather is getting colder). 越...越... is for two things changing together, showing a linked relationship (e.g., The colder it gets, the more I want to sleep).
了 (le) at the end every time?While not a 100% rigid rule, it is highly recommended in almost all conversational and common written contexts. Omitting 了 can make the sentence feel unfinished or sound like a formal, written headline. The 了 confirms the change is a noticeable new reality, which is usually the point of using 越来越. For an A1 learner, it's best to build the habit of including it.
最近 (zuìjìn) (recently) to the sentence?Yes. Time words are usually placed after the subject and before 越来越. This helps specify the timeframe over which the change has been occurring. For example: 他最近越来越忙了 (Tā zuìjìn yuè lái yuè máng le) (He's been getting busier and busier recently).
越来越?Yes. In formal writing (like news reports or academic papers), you will often see 日益 (rìyì), which means “day by day” or “increasingly.” For example, 环境问题日益严重 (Huánjìng wèntí rìyì yánzhòng) (Environmental problems are becoming increasingly severe). For everyday spoken and written Chinese, however, 越来越 is far more common and appropriate.
Basic Structure
| Subject | Marker | Adjective/Verb | Particle (Optional) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
天气
|
越来越
|
冷
|
了
|
|
我
|
越来越
|
喜欢
|
你
|
|
他
|
越来越
|
忙
|
了
|
|
中文
|
越来越
|
难
|
了
|
|
这儿
|
越来越
|
热闹
|
了
|
|
生活
|
越来越
|
好
|
了
|
Meanings
Indicates that a quality or state is increasing in degree over time.
Gradual increase
Something is becoming more [adjective] as time passes.
“他{越来越|yuè lái yuè}高了。”
“中文{越来越|yuè lái yuè}难了。”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subj + 越来越 + Adj
|
天气越来越热
|
|
With Particle
|
Subj + 越来越 + Adj + 了
|
天气越来越热了
|
|
Psychological
|
Subj + 越来越 + Verb
|
我越来越想你
|
|
Negative (rare)
|
Subj + 不再 + 越来越...
|
N/A
|
|
Question
|
Subj + 越来越 + Adj + 吗?
|
天气越来越热了吗?
|
|
Past Context
|
Subj + 越来越 + Adj + 了
|
昨天越来越冷了
|
Formality Spectrum
天气正变得越来越冷。 (Talking about the weather.)
天气越来越冷了。 (Talking about the weather.)
天气越来越冷。 (Talking about the weather.)
天儿越来越冷了。 (Talking about the weather.)
The Progression Concept
Physical
- 冷 cold
- 热 hot
Mental
- 喜欢 like
- 想 miss/think
Examples by Level
天气越来越冷了。
The weather is getting colder and colder.
中文越来越难了。
Chinese is getting harder and harder.
他越来越高了。
He is getting taller and taller.
我越来越饿了。
I am getting hungrier and hungrier.
我越来越喜欢你了。
I am liking you more and more.
这儿越来越热闹了。
It's getting busier here.
工作越来越忙了。
Work is getting busier.
身体越来越好了。
Health is getting better.
从去年开始，物价越来越贵了。
Since last year, prices have been getting more expensive.
随着练习，我的发音越来越准了。
With practice, my pronunciation is getting more accurate.
这首歌听起来越来越好听了。
This song sounds better and better.
他越来越理解我的想法了。
He is understanding my ideas more and more.
人工智能的应用越来越广泛了。
The application of AI is becoming more widespread.
环境问题越来越受到关注了。
Environmental issues are receiving more and more attention.
这个项目的难度越来越大了。
The difficulty of this project is increasing.
人们对健康越来越重视了。
People are attaching more importance to health.
全球化进程使得文化交流越来越频繁。
The process of globalization makes cultural exchange more frequent.
这种观点在学术界越来越有影响力了。
This viewpoint is becoming increasingly influential in academia.
随着阅历增加，他对人生的看法越来越成熟了。
With more experience, his view on life is becoming more mature.
城市规划越来越注重可持续发展了。
Urban planning is increasingly focusing on sustainable development.
在数字化浪潮下，传统媒体的生存空间越来越狭窄了。
Under the digital wave, the survival space for traditional media is becoming increasingly narrow.
历史研究越来越倾向于跨学科的视角了。
Historical research is increasingly leaning towards interdisciplinary perspectives.
这种艺术形式在当代社会越来越具有实验性了。
This art form is becoming increasingly experimental in contemporary society.
随着科技的迭代，人类对未来的预测越来越谨慎了。
With the iteration of technology, human predictions about the future are becoming more cautious.
Easily Confused
Both use 'yuè', but one is a single trend, the other is a correlation.
Both imply 'more', but '更' is for direct comparison between two things.
Both mean gradual change.
Common Mistakes
越来越很冷
越来越冷
越来越冷了
越来越冷了
冷越来越
越来越冷
越来越很忙
越来越忙
越来越喜欢很他
越来越喜欢他
越来越了冷
越来越冷了
越来越是冷
越来越冷
越来越越来越冷
越来越冷
越来越冷了了
越来越冷了
越来越冷了昨天
昨天越来越冷了
越来越冷了在冬天
冬天越来越冷了
越来越冷了的
越来越冷了
越来越冷了的趋势
越来越冷的趋势
越来越冷了的程度
越来越冷的程度
Sentence Patterns
天气___了。
我___。
随着时间，___。
___，越来越___。
Real World Usage
明天天气会越来越冷。
生活越来越精彩了！
我对这个行业越来越有兴趣。
等待时间越来越长了。
这个城市越来越吸引人了。
越来越想你了。
Drop the '很'
Check the verb
Add '了'
Use in conversation
Smart Tips
Always add '了' at the end for a natural sound.
Use it with verbs like 'like' or 'miss'.
Use it to sound analytical.
Remember: 越来越 replaces '很'.
Pronunciation
Tone change
The 'yuè' in 'yuè lái yuè' is 4th tone.
Rising
越来越冷了↑
Emphasis on the change.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'yuè' as a 'yoyo' going up and down, but here it just keeps going UP in intensity.
Visual Association
Imagine a thermometer where the red line is constantly rising, representing the 'more and more' growth.
Rhyme
Yuè lái yuè, change is the key, getting more intense for you and me.
Story
I started learning Chinese. At first, it was hard. But then, I practiced. Now, it is getting easier. I am getting happier!
Word Web
Challenge
Write 5 sentences about things in your life that are currently changing (e.g., your mood, the weather, your skills).
Cultural Notes
Used constantly in daily life to describe everything from inflation to personal growth.
Similar usage, often with a slightly softer tone.
Often used in code-switching contexts.
Derived from classical Chinese patterns of repetition for emphasis.
Conversation Starters
最近天气怎么样？
你的中文怎么样？
你觉得现在的城市生活怎么样？
你如何看待人工智能的发展？
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
天气___冷了。
Find and fix the mistake:
他越来越很忙。
Which is correct?
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
It is getting harder.
Answer starts with: 越来越...
A: 你觉得中文难吗? B: ___.
Use '越来越' and '忙'.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercises天气___冷了。
Find and fix the mistake:
他越来越很忙。
Which is correct?
了 / 越来越 / 天气 / 热
It is getting harder.
A: 你觉得中文难吗? B: ___.
Use '越来越' and '忙'.
越来越热
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercises我的工作越来越___了。(My job is getting busier and busier.)
Select the correct Chinese translation:
Reorder to form: 'Her English is getting better.'
The time is getting less and less.
手机越来越很贵了。
Match the pairs:
我越来越___他了。(I am understanding him more and more.)
Reorder to form: 'I like this song more and more.'
This movie is getting more and more interesting.
Select the flawless sentence:
Score: /10
FAQ (8)
No, it must be followed by an adjective or a psychological verb.
Because '越来越' already implies a degree of intensity.
No, it describes a process that is happening now or has been happening.
Yes, e.g., '越来越难' (getting harder).
Usually, we use other structures for completed states.
It is used in all registers, from casual to formal.
Yes, it is very common to add '了' at the end.
You can use '越来越少' (less and less).
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
cada vez más
Spanish requires the adjective after 'más'.
de plus en plus
French structure is slightly longer.
immer + adjective
German uses the comparative form of the adjective.
ますます
Japanese is an adverbial particle, not a multi-word phrase.
أكثر فأكثر
Arabic is often used at the end of the sentence.
越来越
None.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
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