越...越...

The More … the More …

Level 3

Use 越 (jyut6) ... 越 (jyut6) ... to show that as one thing changes, another thing changes along with it. It works with verbs and adjectives.

How It Works

The 越...越... (jyut6... jyut6...) pattern is a dynamic comparative structure. Unlike a static comparison using 過 (gwo3), this pattern describes a process of change.

1. Basic Structure (Same Subject)
When the same person or thing is doing both actions, the structure is:
[Subject] + 越 + [Verb/Adj 1] + 越 + [Verb/Adj 2]
Example: 佢越講越快 (He speaks faster and faster).

2. The Verb-Object Rule
If the first verb has an object, you usually do not place the object between 越 and the verb. Instead you can:
• Repeat the verb: [Verb] + [Object] + 越 + [Verb] + 越... (e.g., 食飯越食越快 - eat rice more eat more fast)
• Topicalize the object: [Object] + [Subject] + 越 + [Verb] + 越... (e.g., 啲飯佢越食越快 - the rice he eats faster and faster)

3. Different Subjects
If two different things are changing, the subject of each clause must come before 越 (jyut6):
[Subject 1] + 越 + [Verb/Adj 1], [Subject 2] + 越 + [Verb/Adj 2]
Example: 你越講，我越忟 (The more you talk, the more annoyed I get).

4. Register and Nuance

  • 越 (jyut6): The standard form for spoken Cantonese.
  • 愈 (jyu6): A formal or literary variant used in news or formal writing. Avoid mixing them in the same sentence.
  • Dynamic Change: This pattern implies the two variables are 'locked' together. If you just want to say something is 'getting more and more' over time without a specific cause, use 越嚟越 (jyut6 lei4 jyut6) instead.

Examples (6)

  1. 越快越好。

    The faster the better.

    Word by Word: more fast more good

    This is a very common idiomatic expression using the pattern with two adjectives: 快 (faai3 - fast) and 好 (hou2 - good).

  2. 廣東話越學越有趣。

    The more you study Cantonese, the more interesting it becomes.

    Word by Word: Cantonese more study more have interest

    Here, the first part is a verb 學 (hok6 - study) and the second is an adjectival phrase 有趣 (jau5 ceoi3 - interesting).

  3. 佢食飯越食越快。

    The more he eats, the faster he eats.

    Word by Word: he eat rice more eat more fast

    When a verb has an object like 飯 (faan6 - rice), the usual way is to repeat the verb before the first 越 (jyut6) or place the object at the very beginning.

  4. 你越講，我越唔想聽。

    The more you talk, the more I don't want to listen.

    Word by Word: you more talk, I more not want listen

    This demonstrates the structure with two different subjects: 你 (nei5 - you) and 我 (ngo5 - I). Note that the subjects always come before 越 (jyut6).

  5. 啲嘢越貴，佢就越想買。

    The more expensive things are, the more he wants to buy them.

    Word by Word: [plural marker] things more expensive, he then more want buy

    This example uses 就 (zau6) in the second clause to emphasize the result, which is common in longer sentences.

  6. 佢越行越慢。

    The more he walks, the slower he gets.

    Word by Word: he more walk more slow

    The pattern can describe a decrease in speed or quality if the second adjective is 'negative' like 慢 (maan6 - slow).

Common Mistakes

  • Adding a redundant 更 or 更加 after the second 越.

    越快越更好。
    越快越好。

    The word 越 (jyut6) already means 'more', so 更 (gang3) or 更加 (gang3 gaa1) after the second 越 is redundant. 越快越好 is already complete.

  • Placing the subject after the word 越 (jyut6).

    越你講，我越唔想聽。
    你越講，我越唔想聽。

    In Cantonese, the subject must always come before 越 (jyut6). English speakers often make this mistake because 'The more you...' starts with the comparative, but in Cantonese, the person doing the action must lead the clause.

  • Confusing the proportional '越...越...' with the temporal '越嚟越'.

    天氣越凍越。
    天氣越嚟越凍。

    If you only have one variable (the weather getting cold over time), you must use 越嚟越 (jyut6 lei4 jyut6). The '越...越...' pattern requires two distinct parts (e.g., 'The higher you go, the colder it gets').

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

越...越...Level 3The More … the More …

Learn This First

To learn '越...越...', you need to understand how adjectives work in Cantonese and be familiar with the simpler '越嚟越' (more and more) structure, which follows the same logic of linking two increasing states or actions.

Words in This Pattern

越