One of the most useful verbs in Japanese is なる, which means “to become.” Whether you want to say that something is getting better, that someone is becoming a teacher, or that the weather is turning cold, なる is the key verb to express change.

In this blog post, we’ll break down the different ways you can use なる, with plenty of examples to help you understand how to use it naturally!

1. Using なる with Nouns and な-Adjectives

When attaching なる to nouns or な-adjectives, you need to use に before なる.

Pattern:
Noun + に なる
な-adjective (without な) + に なる

Examples:

先生せんせい になる。(Sensee ni naru.)
→ “Become a teacher.”

有名ゆうめい になる。(Yuumee ni naru.)
→ “Become famous.”

静しずか になる。(Shizuka ni naru.)
→ “Become quiet.”

By using なる in this way, you can describe how things change over time.

2. Using なる with い-Adjectives

For い-adjectives, replace the final い with く and add なる.

Pattern:
い-adjective (drop い) + く なる

Examples:

暑あつい → 暑あつくなる。(Atsui → Atsuku naru.)
→ “Become hot.”

寒さむい → 寒さむくなる。(Samui → Samuku naru.)
→ “Become cold.”

高たかい → 高たかくなる。(Takai → Takaku naru.)
→ “Become expensive.”

This structure is useful for describing gradual changes in conditions or abilities.

3. Using なる with Time Expressions

You can also use なる with time-related words to talk about when something happens.

Examples:

もうすぐ春はる になる。(Moosugu haru ni naru.)
→ “It will become spring soon.”

10時じ になった。(Juu-ji ni natta.)
→ “It became 10 o’clock.”

30歳さい になります。(Sanjussai ni narimasu.)
→ “I will turn 30 years old.”

This is a common way to talk about the passage of time in Japanese!

4. Using なる in Polite and Past Forms

Just like other verbs, なる can be conjugated into polite and past forms:

● Polite form: なります
● Past short form: なった
● Polite past form: なりました

Examples:

医者いしゃ になります。(Isha ni narimasu.)
→ “I will become a doctor.”

寒さむくなった。(Samuku natta.)
→ “It became cold.”

有名ゆうめい になりました。(Yuumee ni narimashita.)
→ “They became famous.”

Using polite forms makes your speech more formal and appropriate for different situations.

Conclusion

なる is a super useful verb in Japanese for describing change. Just remember these key points:

• Use になる for nouns and な-adjectives.
• Use くなる for い-adjectives.
• It works well with time expressions and polite speech.
  

Comparison Chart: になる vs. くなる

Practice making sentences with なる, and soon it will become second nature!

Quiz: Test Your Knowledge!

Try to choose the correct form of なる in the following sentences. Answers are at the bottom!

1. 彼かれは医者いしゃ ___ たいです。(He wants to become a doctor.)
   a) になり b) くなり
2. 暖あたたかいですね。もうすぐ秋あき ___ ね。(It’s warm. It will become fall soon.)
   a) になります b) くなります
3. この町まちは最近静さいきんしずか ___。 (This city recently became quiet.)
   a) になりました b) くなりました
4. 彼女かのじょは歌うたが上手じょうず ___ たいです。(She wants to become good at singing.)
   a) になり b) くなり
5. もうすぐ10時じ ___ ね。(It will soon become 10 o’clock.)
   a) になった c) になります

6. Translate: “He became a teacher.”
7. Translate: “It got colder.”
8. Translate: “She became famous.”
9. Translate: “It became quiet.”
10. Translate: “I want to become good at Japanese.”

Answers:
1-a
2-a
3-a
4-a
5-c
6. 彼かれは先生せんせいになりました。
7. 寒さむくなりました。
8. 彼女かのじょは有名ゆうめいになりました。
9. 静しずかになりました。
10. 日本語にほんごが上手じょうずになりたいです。

Can you make your own sentences using なる? Share them in the comments!

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