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Various Ways of "Becoming" in Spanish

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When I first tried to say “become” in Spanish I quickly realized it isn’t nearly as straightforward as in English. Below are the six possible expressions that can be used and a basic explanation of when they should be used.
When I first tried to say "become" in Spanish I quickly realized it isn't nearly as straightforward as in English. Below are the six possible expressions that can be used and a basic explanation of when they should be used based on a course I took at Escuela de Español "Cooperación" in Antigua, Guatemala. Any inaccuracies or mistakes are solely mine. You should probably just use what I have written here as a starting point for a discussion with your own Spanish instructor.

  1. Ponerse + aspecto fisico o estado de animo.
    This form is quite common and generally is used when we are talking about spontaneous and provisional (temporary) changes. It can be used for either positive or negative changes. These changes don't necessarily require any sort of conscious effort.

    e.g., Ellas se puso enojada con él. – She became angry with him.
  2. Llegar + [ser | gustar | tener] + cargo, profesión.
    This form is usually used for gradual and/or social changes and usually for positive changes. Implicit in the use of this form is that the person in question had some sort of purpose, goal or objective (meta, objetivo, propósito). I listed the verbs ser, gustar and tener but I think the form might also support the use of other verbs which reflect ability or desire.

    e.g., Él llegó a ser medico famoso – He became a famous doctor.
  3. Convertirse en + ___.
    This form is basically the same as llegar + ser + profesión. But, it can also be used in a way that form cannot, specifically it can be used in situation when someone has encountered a more or less permanent change, but one which didn't require much effort and/or which didn't necessarily follow from an intention or goal. For example, if someone won the lottery, we would use convertirse en rico/a to describe the newly rich status as it happened instantly and didn't require any more effort than buying a ticket.

    e.g., Él se convertió en rico por la loteria. – He became rich thanks to the lottery. .
    e.g., Todos sus hijos se convertieron en abogados. – All her children became lawyers.
  4. Hacerse + profession o ideología.
    This form is also like the two above (llegar, convertirse) and is also used to describe changes that were decided by the subject (e.g., there was an intention or goal). Like llegar + ser, the use of this form also implies that a considerable effort was required. I believe (but am not confident) that this form is used more commonly than llegar + ser.

    e.g., Juan se ha hecho budista. – Juan has become a Buddhist.
  5. Volverse + "forma de ser".
    This form is usually used for negative changes but can be used as well for positive changes that weren't planned or didn't require effort. In most cases it refers to a change that was involuntary and/or sudden. It is also usually the form of choice for more general things (e.g., places, things, etc. that change). Convertirse can be used for these general changes as well, but volverse is the more common choice.

    e.g., María se ha vuelto muy antipática. – Maria has become very unfriendly.
    e.g., El restaurante se volvió en mi favorito. - The restaurant became my favoite.
  6. Terminar | Acabar + gerundio + ___.
    This form is usually used when someone turns out to be something contrary to expectations. I have written gerundio (gerund) above but the most common gerund used is siendo (ser). The changes described with this form are usually gradual and social in nature and are almost always negative in nature.

    e.g., Él terminó siendo un borracho. – He became a drunk.
    e.g., A pesar de que su padre es un policía, él acabó siendo un ladrón. – Even though his father is a policeman, he became a thief.


Author(s): Jeff Blum
Source(s): Escuela de Español "Cooperación"


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