越……越…… (the more... the more...)

• Pinyin: yuè
• Formation: Subject + 越 + Verb/Adj. + (，) + 越 + Verb/Adj.
• Hanzi breakdown: 越 = 走 (walk) + 戉 (broad-axe)

Meaning

The pattern '越 A 越 B' expresses that as one thing increases or changes, another thing also increases or changes correspondingly. It is equivalent to 'the more A, the more B' in English.

This is one of the most versatile degree expressions in Chinese. Both A and B positions can be filled with verbs or adjectives. The subject can appear before the first 越 or be omitted in context. This pattern specifically links two changing conditions in a proportional relationship — as A increases, B increases too. It differs from 越来越, which describes a single quality progressing over time. The pattern is used across all registers from casual conversation to formal writing. In sentences with two different subjects, each subject appears before its respective 越.

Examples

1. 我越想这件事，越觉得不对。 The more I think about this matter, the more something feels wrong.
2. 天气越冷，我越不想出门。 The colder the weather gets, the less I want to go outside.
3. 这本书越看越有意思。 The more I read this book, the more interesting it gets.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 这个问题越想越复杂。
• 雨越下越大，我们只好在咖啡厅等。
• 她学中文越学越有兴趣。

Don't Say

• 越天气冷，越我不想出门。(The subject or topic should come before 越, not after it — 越 directly precedes the verb or adjective) → 天气越冷，我越不想出门。
• 他越跑越了快。(了 should not be inserted between 越 and the adjective in this pattern) → 他越跑越快。

Origin & History

越 originally meant 'to cross over' or 'to surpass' in Classical Chinese. The paired 越...越... pattern emerged in vernacular literature to express proportional change between two connected qualities or actions.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal