与日俱增
yǔ rì jù zēng · HSK 7
to grow with each passing day
📈📅 与(with) + 日(day) + 俱(all together) + 增(increase) = everything grows together with each day
Literally with-day-all-increase: as the days add up, the amount keeps climbing right alongside them. Used for things that mount steadily over time, like savings, pressure, or skill.
与 — hand 𠂇 + give/tusks 牙-like element
与 is the simplified form of 與. The traditional 與 depicts four hands cooperating to lift and pass an object, conveying the idea of giving or participating together. Over time the meaning extended to 'and' and 'with', linking parties who share or take part in something.
日 — pictograph of the sun
日 is a pictograph of the sun, originally drawn as a circle with a dot or stroke inside representing the sun's substance. Over time the round shape was squared off into the modern rectangular form. It means 'sun' and by extension 'day'.
增 — earth 土 + 曾 (phonetic, 'layer/repeat')
A semantic-phonetic compound: 土 ('earth') gives the meaning, while 曾 supplies the sound and hints at 'layered, piled up.' The original sense was piling earth higher and higher, which generalized to 'increase, add to.' 曾 itself depicts a tiered steamer, reinforcing the idea of stacking.