〜くなる

〜くなる is an adjective pattern expressing become ~. Japanese adjectives conjugate for tense and negation unlike English adjectives, making them more similar to verbs. Understanding adjective patterns allows you to describe qualities, states, and degrees with precision.

This is a foundational pattern that you will use from day one of your Japanese studies.

Formation#

い-adjectives: replace い with くなる. な-adjectives and nouns: add になる.

When to Use#

• When describing a change in state (adjective + なる)
• When something gradually changes in quality or degree

When NOT to Use#

• In very formal writing where a more sophisticated expression would be expected

Example Sentences#

• 夜は寒くなります。 — It gets cold at night.
• 先生になりたいです。 — I want to become a teacher.
• 調子が良くなりました。 — I'm feeling better.

Practice#

Try reading these sentences aloud, then check the translation and vocabulary:

Common Mistakes#

1. Direct translation from English — The concept expressed by 〜くなる may not map one-to-one with its English translation. Focus on understanding the Japanese usage through example sentences rather than relying on the English gloss.

Related Patterns#

• 〜い (i-adjective forms) — Next step