More and More: 越来越
越来越
Express progressive change over time using the pattern 越来越
越来越 is placed before an adjective or verb to express that something is progressively increasing — "more and more." The change is gradual and ongoing.
越来越 describes a trend, not a one-time event. It shows something is continuously changing in one direction.
Lesson Targets
Podcast
Podcast: More and More: 越来越 (越来越)
Listen to Jason & Amy explain the 越来越 pattern
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Understanding 越来越
Change is constant, and Chinese has a beautifully simple way to describe it. 越来越 means "more and more" — it captures the idea that something is gradually increasing or intensifying over time. 天气越来越热了 (The weather is getting hotter and hotter). 我越来越喜欢学习中文 (I like studying Chinese more and more). The beauty of this pattern is its simplicity: just put 越来越 before any adjective or verb and you instantly describe a trend. It works for positive changes (越来越好 — better and better), negative changes (越来越难 — harder and harder), and neutral observations (越来越多 — more and more). The sentence-final 了 often appears because 越来越 describes a change of state.
Key Points
- 越来越 + Adjective: 越来越热 (hotter and hotter), 越来越好 (better and better).
- 越来越 + Verb: 越来越喜欢 (like more and more), 越来越了解 (understand more and more).
- Sentence-final 了 is very common because 越来越 implies a change of state.
- The change described is gradual and ongoing — not sudden.
- Works with both positive and negative adjectives: 越来越漂亮, 越来越难.
- 越来越多 (more and more) and 越来越少 (less and less) are extremely high-frequency phrases.
- Do not confuse with 越……越…… (the more...the more...) which is a different pattern linking two things.
Chinese people love to comment on changes over time, especially about development. You will often hear 中国越来越好了 (China is getting better and better) or 生活越来越方便了 (Life is getting more and more convenient) in everyday conversation.
Key Vocabulary
Example Sentences
天气越来越热了。
The weather is getting hotter and hotter.
我越来越喜欢学习中文。
I like studying Chinese more and more.
他的中文越来越好了。
His Chinese is getting better and better.
来中国的外国人越来越多了。
More and more foreigners are coming to China.
这个城市越来越大了。
This city is getting bigger and bigger.
我越来越了解中国文化了。
I understand Chinese culture more and more.
你的字写得越来越漂亮了。
Your handwriting is getting more and more beautiful.
天越来越黑了，我们快回家吧。
It is getting darker and darker — let us hurry home.
Common Mistakes
Do not add 很 after 越来越. The 越来越 pattern already implies increasing degree — adding 很 is redundant.
Since 越来越 describes a change of state, the sentence usually needs 了 at the end.
越来越 goes after the subject and before the adjective or verb — not at the start of the sentence before the subject.
Practice Exercises
Tips & Tricks
This is one of the most useful patterns in Chinese — use it to comment on any trend you notice.
Do not forget 了 at the end! Since 越来越 implies change, 了 is almost always needed.
Never put 很 after 越来越 — they do not combine.
Practice by describing changes in your life: 我越来越忙了, 中文越来越有意思了, 天气越来越好了.
Homework
Write eight sentences describing changes you have noticed: four about yourself (interests, abilities, feelings) and four about the world around you (weather, city, technology). Use 越来越 in every sentence.