Chinese idiom · 成语
与日俱增
Meaning
Growing with each day; steadily increasing.
Character by character
Origin and story
Literary expressionThis is a compact description of increase over time: something grows along with the passing days. A documented use occurs in the Draft History of Qing, in the annals of the Kangxi emperor. Speaking of his old age, the ruler says that his caution and sense of responsibility grow daily, asking how he could allow himself to become complacent.
That record illustrates the expression; it does not establish that Kangxi coined it. The wording contains no named hero or founding fable. Its useful feature is its neutrality: confidence, affection, pressure, or anxiety can all increase day by day. The thing increasing determines whether the sentence is encouraging or troubling.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
照顾这只流浪猫半年后，我对它的感情与日俱增。
After caring for this stray cat for six months, my affection for it keeps growing day by day.
Works with both positive and negative things that steadily increase, such as affection or pressure.