Meaning and Usage
The verb なる means "to become" or "to turn into." It is used to express a change of state or condition. This verb is very common and appears frequently in everyday conversation and writing.
Common Contexts
- Changing seasons or conditions: 春になる (to become spring), 寒くなる (to get cold).
- Changing roles or statuses: 医者になる (to become a doctor), 社長になる (to become a company president).
- Expressing time or price changes: 5時になる (it becomes 5 o'clock), 高くなる (to become expensive).
Collocations and Patterns
- 〜になる: the basic pattern to express "to become ~".
- 〜くなる: used with adjectives to indicate a change in degree or state (e.g., 寒くなる).
- 〜ようになる: indicates a change in ability or habit (e.g., 日本語が話せるようになる - to become able to speak Japanese).
Register and Politeness
なる is a plain form verb and is used in both casual and formal contexts, often appearing in polite speech as なります.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse なる with する (to do). Remember that なる expresses a change of state, while する expresses an action or doing something. For example, "医者になる" means "to become a doctor," not "to do doctor."