Japanese grammar
What does ～ようになる mean? Japanese grammar N4
～ようになる means to come to be able to ~; to start habitually ~.
| Level (estimated, JLPT framework) | N4 |
|---|---|
| Structure | Vる／Vない + ようになる V (potential) + ようになる |
| Romaji | ~ yō ni naru |
| Meaning | to come to be able to ~; to start habitually ~ |
How to use it
Expresses a gradual change in ability, state, or habit.
- ようになる focuses on the resulting change: previously not doing/not able to, now able to or having entered a new state. This pattern doesn't emphasize the speaker's deliberate effort.
- Vるようになる can mean starting to do something regularly; Vないようになる means gradually no longer doing it. For ability, the potential form is usually used: 話せるようになった.
Examples
毎日練習して、漢字が読めるようになりました。
By practicing every day, I became able to read kanji.
最近、朝早く起きるようになりました。
Recently, I have started getting up early.
Common mistakes
-
Wrong毎日早く起きるようにします。（meaning "it has become a habit"）
Correct毎日早く起きるようになりました。
なりました describes a change that has already come about; します only expresses the speaker's effort/intention.
Exam tips
- When there's 昔は～なかった／最近 and the sentence states a resulting change, choose ようになった.