越…越… vs 越来越: what is the difference?
越来越 is one thing changing over time, as in 天越来越冷. 越…越… links two things, as in 越冷越想睡。
| Word | Pinyin | What it does | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 越…越… | yuè … yuè | Two changes that grow together: the more the first, the more the second. | subject + 越 + V/adj + 越 + V/adj |
| 越来越 | yuè lái yuè | Says that one thing keeps changing as time goes on. | 越来越 + Adj / Verb |
越…越… (yuè … yuè)
Two changes that grow together: the more the first, the more the second.
Structure: subject + 越 + V/adj + 越 + V/adj
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他越说越快，我听不懂了。 | Tā yuè shuō yuè kuài, wǒ tīng bu dǒng le. | The more he talks, the faster he gets, and I cannot follow. |
| 水果越新鲜越好吃。 | Shuǐ guǒ yuè xīn xiān yuè hǎo chī. | The fresher the fruit, the better it tastes. |
| 你越着急，越容易出错。 | Nǐ yuè zháo jí, yuè róng yì chū cuò. | The more anxious you are, the easier it is to make mistakes. |
Not: 我越学汉语，很喜欢。 Both halves need 越; the second one cannot be replaced by 很.
越来越 (yuè lái yuè)
Says that one thing keeps changing as time goes on.
Structure: 越来越 + Adj / Verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 天气越来越暖和了。 | Tiān qì yuè lái yuè nuǎn huo le. | The weather is getting warmer and warmer. |
| 他的汉语越来越好。 | Tā de hàn yǔ yuè lái yuè hǎo. | His Chinese is getting better and better. |
| 来中国旅游的人越来越多。 | Lái zhōng guó lǚ yóu de rén yuè lái yuè duō. | More and more people come to China as tourists. |
Not: 这个城市越来越比以前漂亮。 越来越 already compares with the earlier time, so drop 比: 这个城市越来越漂亮。
Where this comes from
The comparison is part of 越…越…: the more…the more (HSK 4) in the grammar reference, which has the full explanation, more worked examples, and what to learn before and after it.
More pairs: 按照 vs 根据 · 不敢 vs 不能 · 及时 vs 立刻 · 记住 vs 记得 · 渐渐 vs 逐渐 · 将近 vs 大约 · 竟然 vs 居然 · 既然 vs 因为 · 看不懂 vs 没看懂 · 了 vs 过 · 连…都 vs 连…也 · 没有 vs 不如 · all 81 pairs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 越…越… and 越来越?
越来越 is one thing changing over time, as in 天越来越冷. 越…越… links two things, as in 越冷越想睡。
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