越

yuè
adverb HSK 3 #711

Meanings

  1. 1 the more...
  2. 2 to exceed
  3. 3 to cross over

Examples

HSK 3
Yuè kuài yuè hǎo.
The faster the better.
HSK 3
Tā yuè shuō yuè shēngqì.
The more he talked, the angrier he got.
HSK 3
Yuè nán yuè yǒuyìsi.
The harder it is, the more interesting it gets.

Tips

grammar
越...越... is a key pattern: 'the more X, the more Y'. Both 越 must be followed by a verb or adjective.
usage
Think of 越 as an escalator - things keep going up/increasing.

Components

radical
走 zǒu
to walk; run
Walk radical wrapping around - 走 pictures a person leaning forward in motion. 越 is to leap or go over, an exaggerated form of walking, so the radical fits directly. Joins the locomotion family: 起 (rise), 趟 (a trip), 趋 (head toward), 赶 (rush) - characters where the bottom-and-left wrap is 走 and the action is locomotion.
phonetic
戉 yuè
battle-axe (here phonetic)
Right component supplies the sound: yuè → yuè, exact match. 戉 is an old form of 钺, picturing a long-handled battle-axe. The same phonetic drives 越 (this character), 钺 (axe), and is closely related to the southern kingdom-name 越 (Yuè, modern Vietnam's 越南). All keep the yuè-rime cleanly.

Stroke Order

越 yuè