～になる・～くなる
Say something becomes different
You’ll be able to describe change over time, saying what something has become.
この道は夜、暗くなります。
kono michi wa yoru, kuraku narimasu.
What do you think this sentence means?
This road gets dark at night.
Describe a change into a new state
Use なる to say that something becomes a new noun or な-adjective state. With い-adjectives, change い to く before なる.
春になって、暖かくなりました。
haru ni natte, atatakaku narimashita.
It became spring, and the weather got warmer.
Noun + になる
Mark the new noun state with に and add なる.
四月から大学生になります。
shigatsu kara daigakusei ni narimasu.
I will become a university student in April.
もうすぐ春になります。
mou sugu haru ni narimasu.
It will soon become spring.
この建物は来年、図書館になります。
kono tatemono wa rainen, toshokan ni narimasu.
This building will become a library next year.
な-adjective + になる
Put に after the な-adjective stem, without な, then add なる.
町が静かになりました。
machi ga shizuka ni narimashita.
The town became quiet.
日本語が上手になりました。
nihongo ga jouzu ni narimashita.
My Japanese got better.
部屋がきれいになりました。
heya ga kirei ni narimashita.
The room became clean.
い-adjective → くなる
Remove the final い, add く, then なる.
寒い → 寒くなりました
samui → samuku narimashita
cold → became cold
安い → 安くなりました
yasui → yasuku narimashita
cheap → became cheaper
忙しい → 忙しくなりました
isogashii → isogashiku narimashita
busy → became busy
～にする vs ～になる
なる describes a change of state (something becomes clean). する describes a change actively caused by someone (someone makes it clean).
なる, becomes
部屋がきれいになりました。
heya ga kirei ni narimashita.
The room became clean.
Focuses on the new clean state of the room.
する, makes it
部屋をきれいにしました。
heya o kirei ni shimashita.
I made the room clean.
An intentional action where someone cleaned it.
来年、弟は高校生になります。
rainen, otouto wa koukousei ni narimasu.
My younger brother will become a high school student next year.
あの子は来月、六歳になります。
ano ko wa raigetsu, rokusai ni narimasu.
That child will turn six next month.
来月から会社員になります。
raigetsu kara kaishain ni narimasu.
I will become an office worker starting next month.
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