The Japanese verb なる (naru) is another fundamental and versatile verb in the language. It is an irregular verb that primarily means “to become” or “to turn into,” but it also plays a key role in expressing changes in state, transformation, and growth.
Mastering なる is essential for anyone learning Japanese because of its wide range of applications in daily life and complex expressions.
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Fundamentals of なる
Unlike する, which often has an active or intentional nuance, なる expresses the natural or passive change into a particular state, condition, or role. It’s used to indicate a transformation or transition from one state to another.
なる as a Standalone Verb
At its core, なる means “to become” or “to turn into.” It is used to describe a change of state or condition, whether it’s a physical, emotional, or situational transformation. It is typically used with nouns or adjectives to describe a result or a shift in condition.
Examples:
これになる。
Kore ni naru.
"I’ll do this." (I’ll become this [my choice].)
それになる。
Kore ni naru.
"I’ll do that." (I’ll bcome that [my choice].)Here, なる indicates a transition or change into the noun or adjective it follows.
Noun + なる for Becoming a Noun
One of the most common uses of なる is with nouns, where it expresses the process of becoming something, typically a role, identity, or state.
Examples:
社長になる。
(Shachō ni naru.)
"To become the president (of a company)."
日本語の先生になる。
(Nihongo no sensei ni naru.)
"To become a Japanese teacher."
友達になる。
(Tomodachi ni naru.)
"To become friends."Adjective + なる for Becoming an Adjective
なる can also be used with adjectives, where it describes a change into the quality or characteristic described by the adjective.
Examples:
高くなる。
(Takaku naru.)
"To become higher."
速くなる。
(Hayaku naru.)
"To become faster."
きれいになる。
(Kirei ni naru.)
"To become beautiful."Conjugation of なる
Like する, なる is an irregular verb, and its conjugation varies depending on the tense or level of politeness. While it is relatively simple to conjugate, it follows some unique rules.
Present Tense (Dictionary Form) – なる/なります
The dictionary form なる is used in casual speech, typically in its present tense. The polite form to changes なる to なります.
Casual:
彼は大人になる。
(Kare wa otona ni naru.)
"He will become an adult."Polite:
彼は大人になります。
(Kare wa otona ni narimasu.)
"He will become an adult."Present Negative – ならない / なりません
To make なる negative, you use ならない in casual speech and なりません in polite speech.
Casual:
彼は大人にならない。
(Kare wa otona ni naranai.)
"He will not become an adult."Polite:
彼は大人になりません。
(Kare wa otona ni narimasen.)
"He will not become an adult."Past Tense – なった / なりました
To express the past tense, なる changes to なった in casual speech and なりました in polite speech.
Casual:
彼は医者になった。
(Kare wa isha ni natta.)
"He became a doctor."Polite:
彼は医者になりました。
(Kare wa isha ni narimashita.)
"He became a doctor."Past Negative – ならなかった / なりませんでした
To express past negative, なる changes to ならなかった in casual speech and なりませんでした in polite speech.
Casual:
彼は医者にならなかった。
(Kare wa isha ni naranakatta.)
"He did not become a doctor."Polite:
彼は医者になりませんでした。
(Kare wa isha ni narimasen deshita.)
"He did not become a doctor."なる Variations
The verb なる (naru) is used in Japanese to express changes in state, condition, or transformation. It can be paired with different particles or expressions to convey nuances ranging from natural developments to intentional changes.
Besides the basic なる, several variations allow you to express specific nuances of becoming something, turning into something, or a transition.
ようになる (yō ni naru) – “To come to (do something)” / “To become able to”
This construction expresses a change in ability or state, often referring to something you are now able to do after a period of time.
Example:
日本語が話せるようになる。
(Nihongo ga hanaseru yō ni naru.)
"To come to be able to speak Japanese."ものになる (mono ni naru) – “To become (something of value)”
This phrase emphasizes something becoming useful or valuable in some way.
これはお金になるものです。
(Kore wa okane ni naru mono desu.)
"This is something that can become money."ままになる (mama ni naru) – “To remain as it is”
This structure emphasizes that something stays unchanged or remains in a particular state.
Example:
このままでいいと思う。
(Kono mama de ii to omou.)
"I think it’s fine as it is."になる (ni naru) – “To become” / “To turn into”
This structure is used to indicate a change in state or condition, often with nouns and na-adjectives.
Examples:
先生になる。
(Sensei ni naru.)
"To become a teacher."
静かになる。
(Shizuka ni naru.)
"To become quiet."くなる (ku naru) – “To become” (for i-adjectives)
When paired with i-adjectives, くなる expresses a change in condition.
暑くなる。
(Atsuku naru.)
"To become hot."
速くなる。
(Hayaku naru.)
"To become fast."ことになる (koto ni naru) – “It has been decided that” / “It turns out that”
Used to indicate decisions made by external forces or natural circumstances.
来週日本へ行くことになる。
(Raishuu Nihon e iku koto ni naru.)
"It has been decided that I will go to Japan next week."
会社を辞めることになった。
(Kaisha o yameru koto ni natta.)
"It turns out that I will quit my job."Used when something is decided by external factors. Different from ことにする, which expresses a personal decision.
ということになる (to iu koto ni naru) – “That means” / “It follows that”
Used to logically conclude or summarize a situation.
Examples:
彼は３回試験に落ちた。つまり、来年また受けるということになる。
(Kare wa sankai shiken ni ochita. Tsumari, rainen mata ukeru to iu koto ni naru.)
"He failed the exam three times. That means he will take it again next year."
10%の割引だから、1000円引きということになる。
(Juppāsento no waribiki dakara, sen-en hiki to iu koto ni naru.)
"Since it’s a 10% discount, that means you get 1000 yen off."Used to conclude or interpret information. Often appears in explanations.
になっている (ni natte iru) – “Has become” (state resulting from change)
Indicates that something has reached a state and continues to be that way.
Examples:
この建物は学校になっている。
(Kono tatemono wa gakkō ni natte iru.)
"This building has become a school."
試験の結果は来週発表されることになっている。
(Shiken no kekka wa raishuu happyō sareru koto ni natte iru.)
"The exam results are scheduled to be announced next week."Focuses on a change that remains true. Often used in rules, systems, or scheduled events.