越来越 and 越…越
B1 「越来越」与「越…越」 47 / 56
In short
Two frames built on 越 (yuè, “to exceed”): 越来越 + adjective says something gets more and more X over time - 天气越来越冷 (Tiānqì yuè lái yuè lěng, the weather is getting colder and colder); 越 X 越 Y says the more X, the more Y - 越忙越累 (yuè máng yuè lèi, the busier, the more tired). Both are self-intensifying, so you never add 很 or 非常 to them.
The rule
Chinese has no comparative endings, so both “more and more” and “the more … the more” are built on the single root 越 (yuè). Two frozen frames do almost all the everyday work.
越来越 (yuè lái yuè) - “more and more” over time. Put the whole three-syllable block 越来越 directly in front of a gradable adjective or a feeling/knowing verb; it says the quality is climbing as time passes.
Subject + 越来越 + adjective / stative verb
天气越来越冷 (Tiānqì yuè lái yuè lěng, the weather is getting colder and colder), 我越来越喜欢这里 (Wǒ yuè lái yuè xǐhuan zhèlǐ, I like it here more and more). The middle 来 is frozen - it is not a real “come” here, and nothing may be inserted inside the block.
Step 1 - Pick a gradable predicate. 越来越 needs something that can be “more” or “less”: an adjective (冷 lěng cold, 贵 guì expensive, 多 duō many), a psychological or cognitive verb (喜欢 xǐhuan like, 想 xiǎng miss, 了解 liǎojiě understand), or a modal (会 huì, 想 xiǎng). A plain action verb (吃 eat, 跑 run) cannot sit directly after it.
Step 2 - Don’t stack degree words. Because 越来越 already means “increasingly,” it never combines with 很 (hěn very), 非常 (fēicháng extremely) or 最 (zuì most): say 越来越冷, never 越来越很冷.
Step 3 - For an action done more and more Xly, use a 得 complement. “He runs faster and faster” is not 他跑越来越快 but 他跑得越来越快 (Tā pǎo de yuè lái yuè kuài) - here 越来越 grades the 快 inside a manner complement (see Manner and state complement (V 得…)).
越…越 (yuè … yuè) - “the more … the more.” Split the two 越 apart and hang a predicate on each; the sentence now links two rising quantities.
越 + Verb/Adjective + 越 + Adjective/Verb
雨越下越大 (Yǔ yuè xià yuè dà, the more it rains, the heavier it gets), 我越想越生气 (Wǒ yuè xiǎng yuè shēngqì, the more I think about it, the angrier I get). The first 越 marks the driver, the second marks the result that rises with it.
Step 4 - One subject or two. With one subject the two 越 phrases share it: 他越说越快 (Tā yuè shuō yuè kuài, the more he talks, the faster he speaks). With two independent variables, use two clauses, each with its own 越: 风越大，浪越高 (Fēng yuè dà, làng yuè gāo, the stronger the wind, the higher the waves). Either 越 may also sit on a manner complement instead of on a bare verb, which is what you need when the thing that rises is how the action is done: 他说得越慢，大家越容易听懂 (Tā shuō de yuè màn, dàjiā yuè róngyì tīngdǒng, the more slowly he speaks, the more easily everyone follows). Compare 他越说越慢, which says he slows down as he goes on - see Manner and state complement (V 得…).
Step 5 - 越 sits on the predicate, not the subject. Each 越 attaches directly to its verb or adjective, so the subject stays out in front: 他越想越生气, never 越他想越生气.
The two frames are cousins: 越来越 is simply 越…越 with the fixed verb 来 (“as it comes / as time goes on”) filling the first slot. That is why both open with 越.
Forms & patterns
The two frames side by side:
| Pattern | Meaning | Shape | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 越来越 | more and more (change over time) | Subject + 越来越 + adj / stative verb | 天气越来越冷 (Tiānqì yuè lái yuè lěng) - it’s getting colder |
| 越…越 | the more … the more (covariation) | 越 + V/adj + 越 + adj/V | 雨越下越大 (Yǔ yuè xià yuè dà) - the more it rains, the heavier |
What may follow 越来越:
| After 越来越 | OK? | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Gradable adjective | yes | 越来越贵 (yuè lái yuè guì) - more and more expensive |
| Feeling / cognitive verb | yes | 越来越喜欢 (yuè lái yuè xǐhuan) - like more and more |
| Modal 会 / 想 | yes | 越来越会说 (yuè lái yuè huì shuō) - better and better at speaking |
| Plain action verb | no | 越来越吃 -> use a 得 complement: 吃得越来越多 |
| Degree adverb 很 / 非常 | no | 越来越很冷 -> drop it: 越来越冷 |
The two shapes of 越…越:
| Configuration | Subjects | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Single clause | one subject, two predicates | 他越说越激动 (Tā yuè shuō yuè jīdòng) - the more he talks, the more excited he gets |
| Two clauses | two variables | 练习越多，进步越快 (Liànxí yuè duō, jìnbù yuè kuài) - the more practice, the faster the progress |
Examples
- 天气越来越冷。 (Tiānqì yuè lái yuè lěng.) - The weather is getting colder and colder.
- 我越来越喜欢学中文。 (Wǒ yuè lái yuè xǐhuan xué Zhōngwén.) - I like studying Chinese more and more.
- 城市里的车越来越多。 (Chéngshì lǐ de chē yuè lái yuè duō.) - There are more and more cars in the city.
- 他跑得越来越快。 (Tā pǎo de yuè lái yuè kuài.) - He runs faster and faster.
- 雨越下越大。 (Yǔ yuè xià yuè dà.) - The rain is getting heavier and heavier.
- 我越想越生气。 (Wǒ yuè xiǎng yuè shēngqì.) - The more I think about it, the angrier I get.
- 这本书越看越有意思。 (Zhè běn shū yuè kàn yuè yǒu yìsi.) - The more you read this book, the more interesting it gets.
- 天气越热，我越不想出门。 (Tiānqì yuè rè, wǒ yuè bù xiǎng chūmén.) - The hotter the weather, the less I want to go out.
- 你越着急，越容易出错。 (Nǐ yuè zháojí, yuè róngyì chūcuò.) - The more anxious you are, the more mistakes you make.
- 练习越多，进步越快。 (Liànxí yuè duō, jìnbù yuè kuài.) - The more you practice, the faster you improve.
Common mistakes
- 天气越来越很冷。 -> 天气越来越冷。 (Tiānqì yuè lái yuè lěng.) - 越来越 already carries “increasingly,” so it cannot take a degree adverb like 很 or 非常; drop it.
- 他跑越来越快。 -> 他跑得越来越快。 (Tā pǎo de yuè lái yuè kuài.) - to say an action happens more and more Xly, put 越来越 inside a 得 manner complement (V 得 越来越 adj), or recast it as 他越跑越快.
- 雨越下越。 -> 雨越下越大。 (Yǔ yuè xià yuè dà.) - the second 越 must be followed by its own predicate; 越…越 is a two-slot frame and can never be left hanging.
- 越他想越生气。 -> 他越想越生气。 (Tā yuè xiǎng yuè shēngqì.) - the subject comes first; each 越 attaches straight onto its verb or adjective, not in front of the subject.
Tips
- Memory hook: 越来越 = “越 more, 来 as it comes, 越 more” - it always implies a trend over time. 越…越 = “the more X, the more Y” - a proportional link between two things right now.
- 越来越 is really a frozen case of 越…越 with the verb 来 in the first slot, which is why both start with 越. Learn one frame and you have half of the other.
- Never add 很 / 非常 / 最 - these frames intensify themselves. And note 越来越 tracks one thing changing over time; it is not a comparison between two items (that is the job of 更 / 比 - see Comparison (比, 跟…一样, 更, 最)).
- Handy fixed phrase: 越……越好 (yuè … yuè hǎo, the more the better) - 越多越好 (the more the better), 越快越好 (as fast as possible). And 越来越 sentences often close with change-of-state 了: 天气越来越冷了 (Tiānqì yuè lái yuè lěng le, it’s getting colder now).