HSK 4 grammar · pattern
一+量词+比+一+量词
一…比一… — more and more by the day
Pattern
+ + + + + + +
( ) can be left out · other words may come before, between and after
How it works
Repeating "一 + measure" around 比 (一天比一天, 一年比一年) says something changes steadily in one direction with each unit of time — "more and more … by the day/year". An adjective follows to name the growing quality.
Examples
天气一天比一天冷。
Tiānqì yì tiān bǐ yì tiān lěng.
The weather gets colder by the day.
他的中文一天比一天好。
Tā de Zhōngwén yì tiān bǐ yì tiān hǎo.
His Chinese improves day by day.
城市一年比一年热闹。
Chéngshì yì nián bǐ yì nián rènao.
The city grows livelier year by year.
Related
See it in a story
In the app, 一+量词+比+一+量词 is underlined wherever it appears in the stories you read, and practised with sentences from them. Free.