ようになる you ni naru -
Intermediate Lessons: 6

In this lesson I am going to introduce the Japanese grammar ようになる you ni naru. Depending on the verb form that comes before it, it can mean change in habitual action or change in ability/possibility.

なる (naru) is a verb that expresses change. For example...

• 春になりました (haru ni narimashita)
  Meaning: The season has changed to Spring.
• 天気が暖かくなりました (tenki ga atatakaku narimashita)
  Meaning: The weather has become warm.
• 手がきれいになりました (te ga kirei ni narimashita)
  Meaning: The hand has become clean.
• ズボンが小さくなりました (zubon ga chisaku narimashita)
  Meaning: The pants has become small.

By combining ように (you ni) with なる (naru), you can express the change of state of situation.

Basically the following two sentence patterns are used for this grammar...

1. Verb (dictionary-form) you ni naru

This grammar demonstrates the change in habitual action of someone. For instance, you don't do something in the past but are doing it currently. Maybe you don't smoke in the past, but recently you took up the habit of smoking.

Normally you can express this change in habitual action in two sentences like...

• 昔はたばこを吸いませんでした。今はたばこを吸います。
  mukashi wa tabako wo suimasendeshita. ima wa tabako wo suimasu
  Meaning: I didn't smoke in the past. I smoke now.

However by using Verb (dictionary-form) you ni naru, you can express the same action in a single sentence...

• たばこを吸うようになりました。
  tabako wo suu you ni narimashita

たばこを吸う (tabako wo suu) is the present state where you smoke now. It also means that in the past you didn't smoke. So from the above sentence you can conclude two things: You didn't smoke in the past, but you smoke now.

More Examples

1. 新聞を読むようになりました。
   shinbun wo yomu you ni narimashita
   Meaning: I didn't read newspaper in the past. I read newspaper now.

2. ジャズを聞くようになりました。
   jazu wo kiku you ni narimashita
   Meaning: I didn't listen to Jazz in the past. I listen to Jazz now.

3. 歌を歌うようになりました。
   uta wo utau you ni narimashita
   Meaning: I didn't sing in the past. I sing now.

2. When to Use Verb (potential-form) you ni naru?

You will need to use the potential verb when you want to show the change in ability or possibility instead.

Using the same example of smoking, let's say that in your country you are not allowed to smoke until you are 18 years old. Normally you can express this in the following sentences like...

• 十六歳の時、たばこが吸えませんでした。
  今は十八歳です。たばこが吸えます。
  juurossai no toki, tabako ga suemasendeshita.
  ima wa juuhassai desu. tabako ga suemasu
  Meaning: I couldn't smoke when I was sixteen. I am eighteen now. I can smoke.

By using Verb (potential-form) you ni naru, you can express the same situation in only one sentence...

• たばこが吸えるようになりました。
  tabeko ga sueru you ni narimashita

The above example shows the change in possibility was occurred. How about the change in ability?

Let's say that you were not able to read Japanese in the past. After studying Japanese for 5 years, now you can read Japanese newspaper. You can express this situation in the following sentences...

• 昔は日本語の新聞が読めませんでした。
  今は日本語の新聞が読めます。
  mukashi wa nihongo no shinbun ga yomemasendeshita.
  ima wa nihongo no shinbun ga yomemasu
  Meaning: I couldn't read Japanese newspaper in the past. I can read now.

Again by using Verb (potential-form) you ni naru, you can express the same situation in only one sentence...

• 日本語の新聞が読めるようになりました。
  nihongo no shinbun ga yomeru you ni narimashita

More Examples

1. 日本語の歌が歌えるようになりました。
   nihongo no uta ga utaeru you ni narimashita
   Meaning: I couldn't sing Japanese song in the past. I can sing now.

2. 漢字が書けるようになりました。
   kanji ga kakeru you ni narimashita
   Meaning: I couldn't write kanji in the past. I can write now.

3. 日本語の漫画が読めるようになりました。
   nihongo no manga ga yomeru you ni narimashita
   Meaning: I couldn't read Japanese manga in the past. I can read now.