Chinese Grammar: More and more with 越...越

Lupishu has noticed he's a little different: the more he grows, the more he changes color! He’s starting to get used to it now, but he’d like to be able to explain that to his Nincha friends when he goes back to the village. So, today, we’re going to learn about the pattern越...越 which is used quite often in Chinese to talk about how something is occurring “more and more”.

Show an increase with 越来越…

越来越... is a set pattern you use to show how something has increased, usually over time. It is equivalent to “more and more” in English and to the comparative “-er”. This pattern is perfect when you notice that something has changed or is in the process of changing, and when you see a variation going on. 越来越... is usually followed by an adjective.

Structure

Subject (+ Verb) +越来越+Adjective

Examples

咖啡越来越便宜。
Coffee is getting more and more inexpensive.

中国 的 经济发展越来越好。
China’s economy is thriving more and more.

你 的 中文 说 的越来越流利 了。
You speak Chinese more and more fluently.

Talk about “the more... the more” with 越……越……

You can also use the pattern 越……越… by replacing 来 by another verb or adjective. It then means "the more... the more...". This pattern is particularly useful when you want to describe a situation that either has been changing or might soon be due to circumstances. You especially use it when the very circumstances are the ones causing the change. For instance, you might want to warn your friend that if they keep eating junk food, they risk getting fat. This is a perfect occasion to use “越 A 越 B”

Structure

Subject +越+Verb/Adjective (A)+越+Verb/Adjective (B)

In the structure 越 A 越 B, A is usually the reason while B is the result that A leads to. Let’s take our example where you’re getting concerned about your friend again. In it, A is the action of eating junk food and B is the result that they might get fat.

You'd say :
垃圾食品 也 能 让 你 越 吃 越 胖.
The more you eat junk food, the more you risk becoming fat.

Here are two more examples :

Examples

这个 小伙子越长越高。
This young boy is growing taller and taller.

这 本 书 她越读越觉得 有趣。
The more she read this book, the more she finds it interesting.

The more you use this pattern, the more you'll be comfortable using it, don't you think?