越来越

• Pinyin: yuè lái yuè
• Hanzi breakdown: 越 = 走 (walk) + 戉 (phonetic); 来 = simplified from 來, originally a pictograph of a wheat plant; 越 repeated

Meaning

More and more; increasingly. Indicates a progressive change over time.

A very common structure in Chinese that expresses a gradual increase or change. Always followed by an adjective or verb. For example, 越来越好 (getting better and better), 越来越多 (more and more). Essential for describing trends and changes.

Examples

1. 他的中文说得越来越好了。 His Chinese is getting better and better.
2. 天越来越黑了，我们回家吧。 It's getting darker and darker — let's go home.
3. 越来越多的人喜欢跑步。 More and more people enjoy running.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, conversation

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 孩子越来越高了。(The child is getting taller and taller.)
• 生活越来越方便了。(Life is getting more and more convenient.)

Don't Say

• 越来越他喜欢学习。(Don't put a subject between 越来越 and the adjective/verb — say 他越来越喜欢学习.)

Origin & History

Literally 'more come more' — the pattern uses 来 (come) between two instances of 越 (more) to express continuous progression.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal