〜になる
In this lesson, you will learn the expression 〜になる, which means 'to become something'. なる is a godan verb meaning 'to become'. You will learn how to use 〜になる in everyday situations.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to express yourself using 〜になる with nouns, adjectives and verbs.
〜になる is a really useful expression that means 'to become'. It will be used in various situations. It is composed of the particle に, because it tells us that something is going in the direction of becoming. なる is an intransitive verb, which means it will not act towards something. So, the particle を cannot be used in this case. We will always use に because something or someone will 'change into' something.
Noun + になる
Adjective な (without な) + になる
Nouns and な adjectives work the same way.
いつか、かしゅになりたいです。
Itsuka, kashu ni naritai desu.
One day, I want to become a singer.
大学のそつぎょうしてから、いしゃになったの。
Daigaku no sotsugyou shite kara, isha ni natta no.
After graduating from university, I became a doctor.
とつぜん、しずかになった。
Totsuzen, shizuka ni natta.
And then all of a sudden, it became quiet.
かれの日本語がじょうずになりました。
Kare no nihongo ga jouzu ni narimashita.
His Japanese got better.
なる with い adjectives
With い adjectives, に cannot follow, so we will need the adverbial final く.
つよい ➝ つよ ➝ つよく ➝ つよくなる = to become strong
うんどうしているから、つよくなる。
Undou shiteiru kara, tsuyoku naru.
Since I am training, I will become stronger.
Be careful with the adjective いい! It will become よく and not いく.
この休みはよくなったね。
Kono yasumi wa yoku natta ne.
This vacation became good, right?
You can also take なる to say 'to turn into'.
今年、30歳になります。
Kotoshi, 30 sai ni narimasu.
I am turning 30 years old this year.
なる with verbs
In Japanese, it is not possible to change a verb directly through another verb. However, it is possible to use なる with verbs, but it won't have the same meaning as 'to become' like with nouns or adjectives. Rather, it will have the meaning of either something has been decided for us or that we have started to do something.
Let's see these cases with examples!
Verb (dictionary form) + ことになる
You remember the expression verb + ことにする, which meant 'to decide something'? Well, when we use the verb なる instead of する, it means that the decision has been made for us. In this case, なる doesn't literally mean 'to become' in this case.
かいがいに行くことにしました。
Kaigai ni iku koto ni shimashita.
I have decided to go abroad.
かいがいに行くことになりました。
Kaigai ni iku koto ni narimashita.
It has been decided that I will go abroad.
In the first sentence, I have decided myself to go abroad. In the second sentence, somebody else has taken the decision to send me abroad. It can be my parents' decision, for example.
Like the expression ことにする, it will be important to be aware of the verb tense.
なる = a new decision has emerged
なった = decision was taken
なっている = decision is ongoing
なっていた = decision was made, but has changed since then
Let's see another expression that なる can express with verbs!
Verb (dictionary form) + ようになる
This form of grammatical structure has the connotation that there was a change of state, and can be translated as 'start to' or 'become able to'.
毎日、やさいを食べるようになった。
Mainichi, yasai o taberu you ni natta.
I started to eat vegetables everyday.
Once upon a time, you did not eat vegetables everyday, but one day, you started to do it. There was a change of doing.
むすこはじぶんでじてんしゃにのれるようになりました。
Musuko wa jibun de jitensha ni noreru you ni narimashita.
My son became able to ride his bicycle by himself.
Before, my son was not able to ride his bicycle by himself, but now, he is able to. There was a change of state.
人生幸いこともあるけどこの音楽を聴くとなぜか一日の嫌いなことが目立たなくなり良いことが立て続けに起こるようになる。
Jinsei saiwai koto mo aru kedo kono ongaku o kiku to naze ka ichinichi no kiraina koto ga medatanaku nari yoi koto ga tate tsuzukeni okoru you ni naru.
Life is full of good things, but for some reasons, when I listen to this music, the bad things of the day becomes less noticeable and good things happen one after the other.