In Spanish, we have phrases that are different but can also mean the same thing. When we talk about “más y más” and “cada vez más“, we can refer to the increase in quantities. Or also, to quantify/highlight more and more what we want to say or express.
We have to be aware of how we use “más y más” and “cada vez más”. It’s because even though they have similar meanings we can get confused about which one to use and when to use it. As a result, the sentence may not make sense.
Learning how to use these Spanish phrases will help you take a step forward to sound like a native Spanish speaker. So, If you have made your decision and you want to learn how to use “más y más” and “cada vez más”, just keep reading.
How to use ‘más y más’
To understand how to use “más y más” and what it means, we first need to know what “más” is. “Más” is a common word that we can use to describe or refer to large quantities. In Spanish, “más” is equal to “more” and sometimes “most”. It usually works as an adverb but also as an adjective or pronoun.
In the same way, “más” is often the equivalent of the English suffix “-er” or “-est“.
For example,
Sería más fácil para nosotros si nos ayudaras.
It would be easier for us if you help us.
Now we know what “más” means, we can go with “más y más”. Spanish speakers use “más y más” to emphasize or increase the word “más”, referring to very, very large, long, and wide properties or quantities.
These are stressed words, so we must write them with an accent or “tilde” as we call it in Spanish. “Más y más” can be similar to “so much more” or “more and more” in English.
Let’s see some examples,
Ella está cada vez más y más grosera.
She is getting ruder and ruder.
El mundo está más y más contaminado a medida que pasa el tiempo.
The world is more and more polluted as time goes by.
Puedo darte más y más explicaciones, pero para ti nunca es suficiente.
I can give you more and more explanations, but for you, it is never enough.
How to use ‘cada vez más’
We say “cada vez más” when situations, properties, or things are spreading at an increasing rate. It is very similar to “más y más”, but with different words. Everything will depend on what you want to say in Spanish.
Sometimes, it does not matter if you use “cada vez más” or “más y más” in a sentence. However, knowing which of the two we can use in sentences is important. Also, which one sounds better and makes more sense to what we are trying to express.
“Cada vez más” is an adverb that we can use when we talk about properties, structures, or things to an increasing degree. Some synonyms in English can be “increasing”, “progressively”, and “little by little”, among others.
Let’s look at a few examples.
La gente se está volviendo cada vez más consciente de este problema.
People are becoming more and more aware of this problem.
Las máquinas se vuelven cada vez más grandes y cada vez más costosas.
The machines are getting bigger and bigger and more expensive.
En todo el mundo, estamos viendo cada vez más personas que adoptan este estilo de vida.
Around the world, we are seeing more and more people adopting this lifestyle.
‘Más’ vs ‘mas’
Many years ago, “más” and “mas” started as the same word, but over time, that changed and their forms too. Even though “más” and “mas” sound very alike, we should not confuse them.
“Mas” without the accent is the meaning of the preposition “but”. We can write it without an accent mark when it functions as adversative conjunction. Normally, we will recognize this use because we will see the substitution of the word “mas” with “pero” or “por sino”.
Here are some examples.
María salió a las cinco al club, mas nadie quiso acompañarla.
Mary went out to the club at five, but nobody wanted to go with her.
Llegué temprano mas no conseguí entradas.
I got there early, but I didn’t get tickets.
Hemos disfrutado la película, mas hubiéramos preferido que fuera más breve.
We have enjoyed the movie, but we would have preferred it to be shorter.
Different from “más”, which we write with an accent mark (or “tilde”). “Más” is a comparative adverb. We use it to denote superiority, excess, or increase of something. Likewise, it can perform adjective, noun, or copulative conjunctions functions.
Se han acabado las entradas para la función, no hay más.
Tickets for the function have run out, there are no more.
Me gusta más tu casa que la mía.
I like your house more than mine.
Dos más dos son cuatro.
Two plus two is four.
Here is an example using “más” and “mas”. You can see the difference between the two below.
Quería más carne, mas no queda nada.
I wanted more meat, but there was nothing left.
Keep learning ‘cada vez más’
As shown above, there are words we write the same in Spanish but that have different meanings. This can change only if the word has or does not have a “tilde”. So, we must be careful when we use them since they can change the whole sentence of what we mean.
Moreover, the conjunction “mas” is formal and not used that much, you may see it in writing, but it would be unusual to hear it in speech. It is more common to use “pero”, “sin embargo”, or “no obstante”.
On the other hand, if we want to use “cada vez más” or “más y más”, we have to pay attention to the context. Although “más y más” and “cada vez más” are synonyms, their use of them depends on what you want to say and how you want to express yourself.