The More...The More: 越...越...
越……越……
Express progressive change or correlation between two things using 越...越...
Use 越 before two verbs or adjectives to express that as one action or quality increases, another increases correspondingly. The subject can appear before the first 越 or between the two 越 clauses.
The two 越 clauses can share the same subject or have different subjects. When the subjects are different, the first subject goes before the first 越 and the second subject before the second 越.
Lesson Targets
Podcast
Podcast: The More...The More: 越...越... (越……越……)
Listen to Jason & Amy explain the 越……越…… pattern
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Understanding 越……越……
The 越...越... pattern is a powerful way to describe how things change in relation to each other — "the more X, the more Y." It captures the idea of progressive, correlated change. For example, 中文越学越有意思 means "The more you study Chinese, the more interesting it gets." This pattern is extremely common in daily Chinese and can describe positive changes (越来越好 — getting better and better), negative ones (越等越着急 — the longer you wait, the more anxious you get), or neutral observations. Note that 越来越 is a special related pattern meaning "more and more" that uses 来 instead of repeating an action. Mastering 越...越... will let you describe trends, give advice, and make observations like a native speaker.
Key Points
- 越 + A + 越 + B means "the more A, the more B" where A and B are verbs or adjectives.
- Same subject: 他越想越生气 (The more he thinks about it, the angrier he gets).
- Different subjects: 衣服的牌子越有名，价钱越贵 (The more famous the brand, the more expensive the price).
- 越来越 + adjective is a related pattern meaning "more and more": 天气越来越冷 (The weather is getting colder and colder).
- Both 越 clauses typically share the same tense and aspect.
- The pattern can express advice: 越早越好 (The earlier the better).
The 越...越... pattern appears in many Chinese proverbs and sayings. For instance, 越忙越乱 (the busier you are, the more chaotic things get) reflects a common Chinese observation about life. Using such patterns in conversation shows a deeper understanding of Chinese thinking patterns.
Key Vocabulary
Example Sentences
中文越学越有意思。
The more you study Chinese, the more interesting it gets.
衣服的牌子越有名，价钱越贵。
The more famous the clothing brand, the more expensive the price.
他越想越生气。
The more he thinks about it, the angrier he gets.
雨越下越大了。
The rain is getting heavier and heavier.
越早来越好。
The earlier you come, the better.
天气越来越冷了。
The weather is getting colder and colder.
Related pattern: 越来越 means "more and more"
他越说越快，我都听不懂了。
He spoke faster and faster, and I could not understand at all.
问题越多越好，这样我们才能学到更多。
The more questions the better — that way we can learn more.
Common Mistakes
The cause goes in the first 越 clause and the result in the second. Thinking is the cause; getting angry is the result.
For "more and more + adjective," the fixed pattern is 越来越 + adjective. Do not rearrange the words.
The action (studying) should come first, and the resulting feeling (interesting) comes second.
Practice Exercises
Tips & Tricks
Remember: cause goes in the first 越 clause, result in the second — just like "the more X, the more Y" in English.
Use 越来越 when only one quality is changing over time: 越来越好, 越来越快, 越来越难.
The phrase 越...越好 (the more...the better) is incredibly useful for giving advice or expressing preferences.
Practice describing trends you notice: 物价越来越贵 (prices are getting more and more expensive).
Homework
Write eight sentences using 越...越...: four with the same subject (e.g., 越学越难) and four with different subjects (e.g., 人越多，越热闹). Also include two sentences using 越来越.