HSK · Level 28
135 words
Chinese word
愈来愈
Pronunciation
Pinyinyù lái yù
Meaning
- adverbmore and more
Example
天气愈来愈热了。tiān qì yù lái yù rè le
The weather is getting hotter and hotter.
More examples
他最近愈来愈忙，很少有空参加聚会。tā zuì jìn yù lái yù máng hén shǎo yǒu kōng cān jiā jù huì
He has been getting busier and busier lately and rarely has time to attend gatherings.
Core concept
A continuing rise along a scale, from a lower degree toward a higher one.
Common phrases
工作愈来愈忙gōng zuò yù lái yù máng
work getting busier and busier
孩子愈来愈独立hái zi yù lái yù dú lì
children becoming more and more independent
人们愈来愈重视环境rén men yù lái yù zhòng shì huán jìng
people attaching more and more importance to the environment
Similar words
越来越yuè lái yuè: Describes a degree or state that keeps getting stronger over time in familiar speech.
更加gèng jiā: Adds a higher degree to one already reached, meaning further or even more.
愈发yù fā: Indicates a further increase from an earlier level in formal writing.
Definition in Chinese
用于表示某种程度或状态随时间或情形逐渐加深，相当于“越来越”，常作状语，结构为“愈来愈＋形容词/副词”。yòng yú biǎo shì móu zhǒng chéng dù huò zhuàng tài suí shí jiān huò qíng xíng zhú jiàn jiā shēn xiāng dāng yú yuè lái yuè cháng zuò zhuàng yǔ jié gòu wèi yù lái yù xíng róng cí fù cí
Word origin
愈来愈 (yùláiyù, "increasingly") developed from the older use of 愈 (yù, "more") for comparison, while 来 (lái, "come") helps frame the change as it unfolds.
Usage tips
- In everyday speech, this form can sound more formal or literary than the most familiar conversational wording, so it is especially useful when reading or hearing polished Chinese.