Lesson 17: Environment and Nature

Overview

Environmental topics are increasingly present in Chinese media, education, and everyday conversation. This lesson introduces vocabulary for environmental issues and natural phenomena, along with two grammar patterns for describing gradual change: 越来越 + adjective (getting more and more) and 变得 + adjective (has become). Both patterns are essential for discussing trends, not just environmental ones.

Learning Objectives

• Use environmental vocabulary: pollution, protection, nature, climate change
• Use 越来越 + adj to express progressive change
• Use 变得 + adj to describe a transformation in state
• Discuss environmental problems and solutions using appropriate vocabulary

Vocabulary

Character	Pinyin	Type	Meaning	Example
环境	huánjìng	noun	environment	保护环境
污染	wūrǎn	verb/noun	to pollute; pollution	空气污染
保护	bǎohù	verb	to protect	保护野生动物
自然	zìrán	noun/adj	nature; natural	自然环境
树	shù	noun	tree	种树
动物	dòngwù	noun	animal	保护动物
气候	qìhòu	noun	climate	气候变化
能源	néngyuán	noun	energy, fuel	可再生能源
垃圾	lājī	noun	garbage, trash	垃圾分类
回收	huíshōu	verb	to recycle	回收利用
碳排放	tàn páifàng	noun	carbon emissions	减少碳排放
越来越	yuèlái yuè	adv	more and more	越来越热
变得	biàn de	verb	to become (change state)	变得更好
减少	jiǎnshǎo	verb	to reduce, to decrease	减少浪费

Grammar Focus

Pattern 1: 越来越 + Adj/V — More and More

Structure: Subject + 越来越 + Adjective (or Verb Phrase)

越来越 expresses a continuous, progressive change in degree. It can be followed by an adjective or a verb phrase. The sentence describes an ongoing trend, not a one-time change. It always implies comparison with a previous state.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
全球气候越来越热。	Quánqiú qìhòu yuèlái yuè rè.	The global climate is getting hotter and hotter.
空气污染越来越严重，让很多人担心。	Kōngqì wūrǎn yuèlái yuè yánzhòng, ràng hěn duō rén dānxīn.	Air pollution is getting more and more serious, causing many people to worry.
现在人们越来越注意环保了。	Xiànzài rénmen yuèlái yuè zhùyì huánbǎo le.	Nowadays people are paying more and more attention to environmental protection.

Common mistake: Using 越来越 with an adjective that already contains a degree word. 越来越非常热 is wrong. 越来越 already functions as the degree modifier, so no additional intensifier is needed.

Pattern 2: 变得 + Adjective/State — Has Become

Structure: Subject + 变得 + Adjective/Description

变得 expresses that a subject has transformed or changed into a new state. It is different from 越来越 in that 变得 marks a distinct change of state, while 越来越 marks a gradual progression. 变得 is followed by an adjective or a short phrase describing the new state.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
城市的空气变得越来越差了。	Chéngshì de kōngqì biàn de yuèlái yuè chà le.	The city's air has become worse and worse.
自从植树造林活动开始后，这里变得更绿了。	Zìcóng zhí shù zào lín huódòng kāishǐ hòu, zhèlǐ biàn de gèng lǜ le.	Since the tree-planting campaign started, this place has become greener.
海洋变得越来越脏，鱼类减少了很多。	Hǎiyáng biàn de yuèlái yuè zāng, yúlèi jiǎnshǎo le hěn duō.	The oceans have become dirtier and dirtier, and fish populations have decreased greatly.

Common mistake: Confusing 变得 with 成为. 变得 + adjective describes a change in quality. 成为 + noun describes a change in identity or role. 变得更好 (has become better) vs. 成为专家 (has become an expert).

Pattern 3: 应该 + V to Express Environmental Responsibility

Structure: 我们应该 + Verb / 大家都应该 + Verb

This modal pattern from Lesson 13 is essential for environmental discussions. Environmental responsibility statements in Chinese almost always use 应该, 必须, or 需要.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
我们应该减少使用一次性塑料。	Wǒmen yīnggāi jiǎnshǎo shǐyòng yīcìxìng sùliào.	We should reduce the use of disposable plastics.
大家都应该学会垃圾分类。	Dàjiā dōu yīnggāi xuéhuì lājī fēnlèi.	Everyone should learn to sort garbage.
政府应该加大对污染企业的处罚。	Zhèngfǔ yīnggāi jiādà duì wūrǎn qǐyè de chǔfá.	The government should increase penalties for polluting companies.

Common mistake: Saying 应该保护环境 without adding who is responsible. Specifying the actor (我们, 政府, 每个人) makes the statement more concrete and natural in Chinese environmental discourse.

Dialogue

A: 你觉得现在的环境跟以前比怎么样？ Nǐ juéde xiànzài de huánjìng gēn yǐqián bǐ zěnmeyàng? How do you think the current environment compares with before?

B: 不太乐观。很多城市的空气越来越差，垃圾问题也越来越严重。 Bù tài lèguān. Hěn duō chéngshì de kōngqì yuèlái yuè chà, lājī wèntí yě yuèlái yuè yánzhòng. Not very optimistic. The air quality in many cities is getting worse and worse, and the garbage problem is also getting more and more serious.

A: 但是你有没有注意到，现在人们对环保越来越重视了？ Dànshì nǐ yǒu méiyǒu zhùyì dào, xiànzài rénmen duì huánbǎo yuèlái yuè zhòngshì le? But have you noticed that people are paying more and more attention to environmental protection now?

B: 有，很多地方都在推行垃圾分类。我住的小区也变得更干净了。 Yǒu, hěn duō dìfāng dōu zài tuīxíng lājī fēnlèi. Wǒ zhù de xiǎoqū yě biàn de gèng gānjìng le. Yes, many places are implementing garbage sorting. The neighborhood where I live has also become cleaner.

A: 这很好。你觉得个人应该做什么来保护环境？ Zhè hěn hǎo. Nǐ juéde gèrén yīnggāi zuò shénme lái bǎohù huánjìng? That's great. What do you think individuals should do to protect the environment?

B: 应该少用一次性产品，多坐公共交通，还应该节约用水用电。 Yīnggāi shǎo yòng yīcìxìng chǎnpǐn, duō zuò gōnggòng jiāotōng, hái yīnggāi jiéyuē yòng shuǐ yòng diàn. We should use fewer disposable products, take more public transport, and also save water and electricity.

A: 对。如果每个人都做一点，环境就会慢慢变得更好。 Duì. Rúguǒ měi ge rén dōu zuò yīdiǎn, huánjìng jiù huì mànmàn biàn de gèng hǎo. Right. If everyone does a little, the environment will gradually become better.

Practice

Exercise 1: Complete with 越来越

Fill in the blank with an appropriate adjective:

1. 由于全球变暖，海平面越来越___。
2. 因为人们更注意健康，蔬菜和水果的销量越来越___。
3. 这个城市的交通越来越___，每天堵车很严重。

Exercise 2: Transform using 变得

Rewrite each sentence using 变得 + adjective:

1. 空气的质量不如以前了。
2. 这个地方比以前更美丽了。
3. 他的态度和以前不一样了，现在更积极了。

Exercise 3: Environmental positions

Write 3 sentences about environmental responsibilities using 应该, 越来越, and 变得, one sentence each.

Cultural Note

China is the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide but is also the largest investor in renewable energy. The Chinese government's carbon neutrality pledge (碳中和 by 2060) and peak carbon emissions target (碳达峰 by 2030) are major policy commitments. Locally, the mandatory garbage sorting (垃圾分类) introduced in Shanghai in 2019 and then expanded nationwide became a cultural flashpoint, with people debating the categories on social media. The phrase 你是什么垃圾 (What kind of garbage are you?) became a viral meme, turned from a literal sorting question into an internet insult, showing how environmental policy can intersect with popular culture in unexpected ways.