subject + 越 + verb/adjective + 越 + verb/adjective
Mandarin Chinese Articles
How to express “the more…, the more…” in Mandarin Chinese?
By: Lina Shen Thu Jan 04 2024
Mandarin chineseExpression Of Comparison
In Mandarin Chinese, 越...越... (yuè...yuè...) and 越来越...了 (yuè lái yuè...le) are used to express ”the more…, the more…” There are various ways to make compartisons in Mandarin Chinese but in this post we will discuss these different, but very useful, expressions to do so. Let’s look at some examples:
他越跑越快。
(Tā yuè pǎo yuè kuài. )
The more he runs, the faster he gets.
他越问，我越生气。
(Tā yuè wèn, wǒ yuè shēngqì.)
The more he asks, the angrier I get.
天越来越黑了。
(Tiān yuè lái yuè hēi le.)
It gets darker and darker.
你的中文越来越棒了。
(Nǐde zhōngwén yuè lái yuè bàng le.)
Your Chinese gets better and better.
In the examples above, notice that the first two sentences use the expression 越...越... (yuè...yuè…, the more… the more…), and the last two sentences use the expression 越来越...了 (yuè lái yuè...le, more and more). Keep reading and, by the end of this post, you will know how to use these two expressions like a pro!
Table of Contents
How to use 越...越... (yuè...yuè...) to express “the more…, the more…” in Mandarin Chinese?
越...越... (yuè...yuè...) is the one phrase you will need to express the English equivalent of “the more…, the more….” Between the two 越 (yuè), we usually insert a verbNo definition set for verbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. or an adjectiveNo definition set for adjectiveLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.. This pattern will either carry one subjectNo definition set for subjectLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., such as in the first sentence above — 他越跑越快 (ā yuè pǎo yuè kuài, The more he runs, the faster he gets) —, or carry different subjects, like in the second sentence — 他越问，我越生气 (tā yuè wèn, wǒ yuè shēngqì, The more he asks, the angrier I get). Are you ready to find out more? Let’s keep reading!
How to use 越...越... (yuè...yuè...) to express comparison with one subject?
In this pattern, we insert verbs or adjectives after the two 越 (yuè). Deciding what to insert, a verb or an adjective, depends on the meaning you want to express. Let’s look at the pattern below, with some examples:
在路上，他越开越快。
(Zài lù shàng, tā yuè kāi yuè kuài.)
On the road, the more he drives, the faster he drives.
宾客越少越好。
(Bīnkè yuè shǎo yuè hǎo.)
The fewer guests, the better.
我越忙越高兴。
(Wǒ yuè máng yuè gāoxìng.)
The busier I am, the happier I am.
大火越烧越旺。
(Dàhuǒ yuè shāo yuè wàng.)
The more the fire burns, the more it flourishes.
你的车越看越漂亮。
(Nǐde chē yuè kàn yuè piàoliang.)
Your car looks prettier.
(lit.) The more your car is looked at, the prettier it is.
Tip
When an adjective is inserted in 越...越... (yuè...yuè...), it cannot be modified by another adverbNo definition set for adverbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., such as 很 (hěn, very), 非常 (fēicháng, very), or 太 (tài, extremely). Let's take the last sentence above, for example:
✓ 你的车越看越漂亮。
(Nǐde chē yuè kàn yuè piàoliang.)
Your car looks prettier.
✗ 你的车越看越很漂亮。
(Nǐde chē yuè kàn yuè hěn piàoliang.)
How to use 越...越... (yuè...yuè...) to express comparison with multiple subjects?
Remember this sentence from the beginning of this post:
他越问，我越生气。
(Tā yuè wèn, wǒ yuè shēngqì. )
The more he asks, the angrier I get.
There are two different subjects, 他 (ta, he) and 我 (wǒ, I), that are used with the 越...越... (yuè...yuè...) pattern. Usually, the first part with 越 (yuè) indicates the cause, and the second part with 越 (yuè) explains the effect. 他越问 (tā yuè wèn, The more he asks) indicates the reason why 我越生气 (wǒ yuè shēngqì, the angrier I get). Why don’t we look at more examples?
subject 1 + 越 + verb/adjective, subject 2 + 越 + verb/adjective
天气越冷，我越想吃火锅。
(Tiānqì yuè lěng, wǒ yuè xiǎng chī huǒguō.)
The colder it is, the more hotpot I want to have.
人越多， 我越紧张。
(Rén yuè duō, wǒ yuè jǐnzhāng.)
The more people there are, the more nervous I am.
你越高兴，我也越高兴。
(Nǐ yuè gāoxìng, wǒ yě yuè gāoxìng.)
The happier you are, the happier I am too.
科技越发达，生活越方便。
(Kējì yuè fādá, shēnghuó yuè fāngbiàn.)
The more technology develops, the more convenient life is.
How to use 越...越不/没... (yuè...yuè bù/méi...) to express “the more…, the less…” in Mandarin Chinese?
Have you been wondering what happens if you want to express the meaning of “the more…, the less…”? We’ve got you covered! Just add 不 (bù) or 没 (méi) to the second part of 越 (yuè), and you have it!
subject + 越 + verb/adjective + 越不/没 + verb/adjective
or
subject 1 + 越 + verb/adjective, subject 2 + 越不/没 + verb/adjective
这本书越看越没意思。
(Zhè běn shū yuè kàn yuè méi yìsi.)
The more (I read) this book, the less interesting it gets.
汉语越学越不难。
(Hànyǔ yuè xué yuè bù nán.)
The more you learn Chinese, the less difficult it is.
你越问，我越不回答。
(Nǐ yuè wèn, wǒ yuè bù huídá.)
The more you ask, the less I answer.
天气越热，我们越不想出门。
(Tiānqì yuè rè, wǒmen yuè bùxiǎng chūmén.)
The hotter it gets, the less we want to go out.
How to use 越来越...了 (yuè lái yuè…le) to express “more and more” in Mandarin Chinese?
You can also use 越来越....了 (yuè lái yuè...le, more and more), a simpler form of 越...越... (yuè...yuè...). Instead of inserting verbs and/or adjectives in 越...越... (yuè...yuè...), we substitute it with 越来越....了 (yuè lái yuè...le, more and more). This pattern expresses either an action, or something that increases or decreases in degree. For example, 她越来越喜欢这个城市了 (Tā yuèláiyuè xǐhuan zhège chéngshì le, She likes the city more and more). In this sentence, 越来越 indicates a comparison between now and before, namely she now likes the city more than before. As you can see here, after the first 越 (yuè), the character 来 (to come, there is more increase/decrease to come) is placed there for us. We cannot change it or leave it out. All we need to do is to insert verbs or adjectives after the second 越 (yuè) to mean "more and more." Please notice that the aspectual particle 了 (le) is added at the end of the sentence pattern, to indicate the change of state. Got it? Great! Let’s move on!
How to use 越来越....了 (yuè lái yuè...le) with an adjective?
To use 越来越....了 (yuè lái yuè...le, more and more) with an adjective, follow the formula below:
subject + 越来越 + adjective + 了
春天来了，天气越来越暖和了。
(Chūntiān láile, tiānqì yuè lái yuè nuǎnhuole.)
Spring is coming, and the weather is getting warmer and warmer.
你的中文口语越来越流利了。
(Nǐ de zhōngwén kǒuyǔ yuè lái yuè liúlìle.)
Your spoken Chinese is becoming more and more fluent.
科技越来越发达了。
(Kējì yuè lái yuè fādále.)
Technology has become more and more developed.
Again, when an adjective is inserted in the 越来越....了 (yuè lái yuè...le) pattern, it cannot be modified by another adverb, such as 很 (hěn), 非常 (fēicháng), or 太 (tài).
How to use 越来越....了 (yuè lái yuè...le) with a verb?
When using 越来越....了 (yuè lái yuè...le, more and more) with a verb, not all verbs can fit in the sentence structure. It requires a mental verb that conveys the mental-state and attitude of the speaker. Here is a list of common mental verbs in Mandarin Chinese. Check it out!
Now, let’s put it into sentences!
subject + 越来越 + verb + object + 了
我越来越喜欢做饭了。
(Wǒ yuè lái yuè xǐhuan zuòfàn le.)
I like to cook more and more.
你们越来越了解我了。
(Nǐmen yuè lái yuè liǎojiě wǒ le.)
You understand me more and more.
我越来越讨厌黄瓜了。
(Wǒ yuè lái yuè tàoyàn huángguā le.)
I started to hate cucumbers more and more.
How to use 越来越不/没....了 (yuè lái yuè bù/méi...le) to express “less and less” in Mandarin Chinese?
Adding 不/没 (bù/méi) after 越来越 (yuè lái yuè...le) will express the meaning of “less and less” in Mandarin Chinese. This negative form usually applies to the following sentence pattern:
subject + 越来越不 + verb + object + 了
or
subject + 越来越没 + noun + verb + 了
他们越来越不相信我了。
(Tāmen yuè lái yuè bù xiāngxìn wǒle.)
They believe me less and less.
我越来越没兴趣画画儿了。
(Wǒ yuè lái yuè méi xìngqù huà huà erle.)
I have less and less interest in drawing.
To sum up
In this post, we discussed two methods to express comparison in Mandarin Chinese: 越...越... (yuè...yuè...) and the simpler form, 越来越....了 (yuè lái yuè...le). In both patterns, we can insert verbs and adjectives after 越 (yuè) to indicate an increase of an action or a thing in degrees.
越...越... (yuè...yuè...) | 越来越....了 (yuè lái yuè...le) |
|---|---|
subject + 越 + verb/adjective + 越 + verb/adjective 咖啡越喝越好喝。 (Kāfēi yuè hē yuè hǎohē.) The more coffee (you drink), the tastier it is. | subject + 越来越 + adjective + 了 天气越来越热了。 (Tiānqì yuè lái yuè rè le.) It's getting warmer and warmer. |
subject 1 + 越 + verb/adjective, subject 2 + 越 + verb/adjective 人越多，我越紧张。 (Rén yuè duō, wǒ yuè jǐnzhāng.) The more people there are, the more nervous I am. | subject + 越来越 + verb + object + 了 我越来越了解你了。 (Wǒ yuè lái yuè liǎojié nǐ le.) I understand you more and more. |
subject 1 + 越 + verb/adjective, subject 2 + 越不/没 + verb/adjective 你越问，我越不回答。 (Nǐ yuè wèn, wǒ yuè bù huídá.) The more you ask, the less I will answer. | subject + 越来越不 + verb + object + 了 他们越来越不喜欢这里了。 (Tāmen yuè lái yuè bù xǐhuan zhèli le.) They like it here less and less. |
Now, are you ready for some exercises? The more exercises you do, the easier it will be! 你会发现，练习题越做越容易 (Nǐ huì fāxiàn, liànxí tí yuè zuò yuè róngyi)!
Downloadable Resources
Elevate your language-learning journey to new heights with the following downloadable resources.
How to express “the more…, the more…” in Mandarin Chinese~Common mental verbsHow to express “the more…, the more…” in Mandarin Chinese~Activities
