越是A，越B
Reach for this when you want to flag a counterintuitive or proportional relationship — 'the more of A, the more B,' with extra emphasis on the type or category of A. The 是 in the first half spotlights A as a category ('the kind that…') rather than just a degree. It's the form you hear when a commentator says 'the more resource-rich a region IS, the more likely you'll see this problem' — drawing attention to the paradox.
Structure
越是 [QUALITY / CATEGORY A]，越 [RESULT B]
yuè shì... yuè...
How to Think About It
Plain 越...越... links two changes; adding 是 in the first 越 pins A down as a defining trait, not just a variable degree. It says 'precisely the ones that ARE A — those are the ones that B.' That's why it shines for paradoxes: 'precisely the places richest in resources are the ones with trouble distributing them.' The 是 sharpens the category, the second 越 delivers the punchline.
Examples
越是难的事情，越值得去做。
Yuè shì nán de shìqing, yuè zhídé qù zuò.
The harder something is, the more it's worth doing.
越是大的公司，决策反而越慢。
Yuè shì dà de gōngsī, juécè fǎn'ér yuè màn.
The bigger the company, the slower the decision-making, ironically.
越是聪明的人，越知道自己懂得少。
Yuè shì cōngming de rén, yuè zhīdào zìjǐ dǒngde shǎo.
The smarter someone is, the more they realize how little they know.
Common Mistake
Learners drop the 是 and write 越A越B, which works for simple proportional change but loses the categorical emphasis. With abstract qualities or counterintuitive claims, dropping 是 weakens the rhetorical force.
越资源丰富的地方，越可能出现问题。
越是资源丰富的地方，越可能出现问题。
Don't Confuse With
越...越...
Plain version, no 是. Works for direct proportional change ('the more I read, the more I understand'). Switch to 越是...越 when you want to emphasize a category or paradox.
越来越...
越来越 = 'more and more' over time, with one subject and one trait. 越是A越B links TWO traits across a category. Different shape, different job.
...得越多，...得越多
Same logic but with the 得 complement structure. Common after verbs ('the more you eat, the more you want'). 越是A越B is for adjectives, categories, or noun phrases.
Practice
___ 资源丰富的地方，越可能出现有电送不出去的困境。
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越是
越是着急，___ 容易出错。
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越
Arrange: 越是 / 越 / 重要的 / 仔细 / 决定 / 要
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越是重要的决定，越要仔细。
The more experienced the doctor, the calmer they tend to be.
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越是经验丰富的医生，越冷静。
Use 越是A，越B to describe a counterintuitive pattern you've noticed.
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越是简单的道理，越难做到。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: