Becoming able to do something (～ようになる)
～ようになる to describe reaching a new state of ability or starting a regular new habit.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use ～ようになる to describe a change in your ability or habits over time.
- Attach to the potential form: {泳げる|およげる}ようになる (become able to swim).
- Attach to the dictionary form for habits: {毎日|まいにち} {走る|はしる}ようになる (start running every day).
- Use the negative potential for losing ability: {漢字|かんじ}が {読め|よめ}なくなる (become unable to read kanji).
Overview
Japanese grammar often provides tools to express not just actions, but the context and trajectory surrounding them. The pattern ～ようになる (you ni naru) is a cornerstone of expressing change, personal growth, and shifts in habits. It's the grammatical equivalent of a 'before and after' picture, marking the moment a new ability is gained or a new routine is established.
It moves beyond a simple statement of fact (e.g., "I can swim") to describe the process of transformation that led to the present state ("I have become able to swim").
Fundamentally, ～ようになる serves two primary functions:
- 1To describe the acquisition of a new skill or ability. This is its most common usage for language learners, capturing the satisfaction of finally being able to do something that was previously impossible. It signifies that a threshold has been crossed, usually through practice, learning, or natural development.
- 1To describe a change in habit or recurring behavior. This function describes a shift in one's lifestyle or routine. It indicates that a person has started (or stopped) doing something as a regular practice, often as a result of a change in circumstance, mindset, or environment.
Mastering this pattern allows you to articulate your personal journey, accomplishments, and evolving lifestyle with a nuance that the simple past or present tense cannot capture. It’s about the destination that has been reached after a period of gradual change.
Conjugation Table
| Verb Type | Base Verb (Meaning) | 1. Acquired AbilityPotential Form + ようになる |
2. New HabitDictionary Form + ようになる |
3. Stopped HabitNegative Form + なくなる |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | ||||||
| U-Verb | `{話 | はな}す` (to speak) | `{話 | はな}せるようになる`(become able to speak) | `{話 | はな}すようになる`(start to speak habitually) | `{話 | はな}さなくなる`(stop speaking) | ||
| `{泳 | およ}ぐ` (to swim) | `{泳 | およ}げるようになる`(become able to swim) | `{泳 | およ}ぐようになる`(start to swim habitually) | `{泳 | およ}がなくなる`(stop swimming) | |||
| Ru-Verb | `{食 | た}べる` (to eat) | `{食 | た}べられるようになる`(become able to eat) | `{食 | た}べるようになる`(start to eat habitually) | `{食 | た}べなくなる`(stop eating) | ||
| `{見 | み}る` (to see/watch) | `{見 | み}られるようになる`(become able to see/watch) | `{見 | み}るようになる`(start to watch habitually) | `{見 | み}なくなる`(stop watching) | |||
| Irregular | する (to do) | できるようになる(become able to do) | するようになる(start to do habitually) | しなくなる(stop doing) | ||||||
| `{来 | く}る` (to come) | `{来 | こ}られるようになる`(become able to come) | `{来 | く}るようになる`(start to come habitually) | `{来 | こ}なくなる`(stop coming) |
How This Grammar Works
～ようになる functions as it does, we can deconstruct its components. The structure is a logical combination of three distinct grammatical elements:- 1
よう(様): This character translates to "way," "manner," "style," or "state." In this grammar pattern, it refers to a new state of being or doing. It's not about the action itself, but the condition or circumstance of that action being possible or habitual.
- 1
に: This is the target particle. It marks what something is changing into. Just as in医者になる(to become a doctor), theにin～ようになるpoints to the new state that is being entered.
- 1
なる(成る): This is the verb "to become" or "to reach a state." It signifies a transformation or change that has taken place over time.
[Verb] + ようになる, the literal meaning is "to become in the state/manner of [Verb]." This is why it so perfectly captures a transformation. You are not just 'doing' something; you are describing your entire reality as having shifted to one where this 'doing' is now the norm or a possibility. For instance, in 日本語が話せるようになった, you are saying, "I have become in the state of being able to speak Japanese." This emphasizes the resulting state of ability rather than the isolated act of speaking.Formation Pattern
Verb (Potential Form) + ようになる
ようになる is typically low-high-high-high (LHHH), so よめるようになる is LHHHHHHHH.
ギターが弾けるようになりました。
Verb (Dictionary Form) + ようになる
最近、早起きするようになりました。
～ない form, which conjugates like an い-adjective.
Verb (Plain Negative Form ない -> なく) + なる
ない ending is changed to its adverbial form, なく, before なる.
ジャンクフードは一切食べなくなりました。
～たい (want to).
Verb (Potential/Dictionary Form) + ようになりたい
もっと流暢に話せるようになりたいです。
When To Use It
～ようになる is most appropriate:～ようになりました is especially common for reflecting on these milestones.一年間練習して、やっと自転車に乗れるようになった。- (After practicing for a year, I finally became able to ride a bicycle.)
この文法の意味が分かるようになりました。- (I have come to understand the meaning of this grammar point.)
～ようになる to describe a new behavior that has become ingrained in your life. This implies that the action is now done regularly, in contrast to the past. It suggests a shift in personal policy or daily rhythm.引っ越してから、毎朝コーヒーを飲むようになった。- (Since moving, I've started drinking coffee every morning.)
子どもが生まれてから、お酒を飲まなくなりました。- (After my child was born, I stopped drinking alcohol.)
息子はいつの間にか一人で着替えられるようになった。- (Before I knew it, my son became able to get dressed by himself.)
このサイトは、パスワードなしでログインできるようになりました。- (This website has become login-able without a password.)
～なくなる, this pattern is powerful for contrasting the past with the present. It's often used to express nostalgia or comment on how things have changed over a long period.昔はこの辺りにたくさん店があったが、今はほとんど見かけなくなった。- (There used to be many shops around here, but now you hardly see them anymore.)
Common Mistakes
～ようになる. Being aware of these pitfalls is key to using the pattern accurately.～ようになる) with a Conscious Decision (～ことにする)～ようになる describes a change that has emerged over time, while ～ことにする describes a specific decision made at a point in time.- Incorrect:
昨日から毎日運動するようになりました。(Change is too sudden forようになる) - Correct (Decision):
昨日から毎日運動することにしました。(I decided to start exercising every day, starting yesterday.) - Correct (Habit):
健康診断の結果を見てから、毎日運動するようになりました。(Since seeing my health check results, I have started exercising every day. - A resulting habit)
日本語を話すようになった。(I started to speak Japanese habitually. This might imply a shy person has opened up, not that they learned the language.)日本語が話せるようになった。(I became able to speak Japanese. This correctly refers to skill acquisition.)
～ようになる to Adjectives and Nouns～なる pattern.- Incorrect:
寿司が好きようになる。 - Correct (for な-adjectives):
寿司が好きになる。(To come to like sushi.) - Incorrect:
野菜が安いようになる。 - Correct (for い-adjectives):
野菜が安くなる。(Vegetables become cheap.)
～ないようになる Instead of ～なくなる～ないようになる might seem logical, the standard and natural form for ceasing an action is ～なくなる. The former is grammatically clumsy and implies "to enter a state of not doing," whereas ～なくなる more cleanly means "to no longer do."- Awkward:
残業しないようになりました。 - Natural:
残業しなくなりました。(I stopped working overtime.)
Contrast With Similar Patterns
やっと漢字が読めるようになった。 (I finally became able to read kanji.) |寒くなる) and nouns (医者になる). Cannot be used with verbs. | 部屋が静かになった。 (The room became quiet.) |来月からジムに通うことにした。 (I've decided to start going to the gym next month.) |来月、大阪支社に転勤することになりました。 (It has been decided that I will transfer to the Osaka branch next month.) |～ようになる is a flower blooming over time. ～ことになる is you deciding to plant the flower. ～ことになる is your landlord informing you that a garden will be installed.Real Conversations
Here is how ～ようになる and its related forms appear in natural, everyday contexts.
Scenario 1
- A: あれ、山田くん、最近コンタクト？前はメガネだったよね？
- (Oh, Yamada, are you wearing contacts recently? You used to wear glasses, right?)
- B: うん。スポーツを始めてから、コンタクトにするようになったんだ。
- (Yeah. Since I started playing sports, I've started wearing contacts.)
Scenario 2
- Subject: 【重要】経費精算システムの変更について (Important: Regarding Changes to the Expense Reimbursement System)
- Body: 皆様、お疲れ様です。来週月曜日より、新しい経費精算システムが導入されます。これにより、スマートフォンからも申請ができるようになりますので、ご活用ください。
- (Team, thank you for your hard work. Starting next Monday, a new expense reimbursement system will be introduced. With this, it will become possible to submit applications from your smartphone, so please make use of it.)
Scenario 3
- Post: 日本に来て半年。最初は電車の乗り換えもできなかったけど、最近は一人でどこへでも行けるようになった！成長したかな？笑 #日本語勉強中
- (Six months in Japan. At first, I couldn't even handle train transfers, but recently I've become able to go anywhere by myself! Guess I've grown? lol #studyingjapanese)
Progressive Practice
Use these exercises to check your understanding and build fluency with the pattern.
Level 1: Basic Conversion
Transform the given verb into the required ～ようになる form.
You can now eat natto. (Polite Past): 納豆が＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿。
You have started drinking tea every day. (Plain Past): 毎日お茶を＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿。
You no longer read paper books. (Polite Past): 紙の本は＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿。
(Answers: 1. 食べられるようになりました 2. 飲むようになった 3. 読まなくなりました)
Level 2: Sentence Completion
Complete the sentence based on the context provided.
(After living in Japan for a year...) 日本のニュースがだいたい＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿。 (understand)
(You used to be a picky eater, but now...) 野菜も＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿。 (eat)
(You just resolved to start a diary today.) 今日から日記を＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿。 (Choose between 書くようになった and 書くことにした)
(Answers: 1. 分かるようになりました 2. 食べるようになりました 3. 書くことにした - because it's a decision)
Level 3: Scenario Application
Describe the change using the most appropriate grammar.
You practiced for months, and yesterday you finally passed the N1 exam. How do you express the new state of being 'able to pass'?
Your company has a new policy. From now on, everyone must leave by 7 PM. How does your boss announce this 'it has been decided' news?
(Answers: 1. N1に合格できるようになった。 2. 7時までに退社することになりました。)
Quick FAQ
～ようになる to talk about the future?Absolutely. You can use ～ようになります or ～ようになるでしょう to make a prediction (いつか話せるようになるでしょう - "Someday, you'll probably become able to speak it"). For personal goals, ～ようになりたい ("I want to become able to...") is extremely common.
を and が used with this pattern?When you use the potential form of a verb, the object of that verb is often marked with が instead of を. This shifts the focus from the action to the ability itself. For example, ピアノを弾く (to play the piano) becomes ピアノが弾けるようになった (became able to play the piano).
Not at all. It is a fundamental part of everyday speech used by people of all ages in both casual and formal contexts. Using it correctly makes your Japanese sound more natural and nuanced, as it shows you can articulate changes over time.
Generally, no. The grammar implies a gradual process. For a sudden, unexpected change, it's often more natural to use a different structure or simply the past tense. For example, if a machine suddenly breaks, you'd say 壊れた (it broke) rather than 壊れるようになった (it has gotten to a state where it breaks).
Formation Table
| Type | Verb Form | Construction | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ability (Affirmative)
|
Potential
|
Potential + ようになる
|
{話せる|はなせる}ようになる
|
|
Ability (Negative)
|
Potential
|
Potential (Neg) + ようになる
|
{話せない|はなせない}ようになる
|
|
Habit (Affirmative)
|
Dictionary
|
Dictionary + ようになる
|
{走る|はしる}ようになる
|
|
Habit (Negative)
|
Nai-form
|
Nai-form + ようになる
|
{走らない|はしらない}ようになる
|
|
Past (Affirmative)
|
Past
|
Verb + ようになった
|
{話せる|はなせる}ようになった
|
|
Past (Negative)
|
Past
|
Verb + ようにならなかった
|
{話せる|はなせる}ようにならなかった
|
Meanings
Describes a gradual change in a person's ability or a shift in a repeated habit.
Acquired Ability
Transitioning from not being able to do something to being able to do it.
“{自転車|じてんしゃ}に {乗れる|のれる}ようになった。”
“{箸|はし}が {使える|つかえる}ようになった。”
New Habit
Starting a new routine or habit that wasn't there before.
“{毎日|まいにち} {野菜|やさい}を {食べる|たべる}ようになった。”
“{朝|あさ} {早く|はやく} {起きる|おきる}ようになった。”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Verb + ようになる
|
{泳げる|およげる}ようになる
|
|
Negative
|
Verb + ようになる
|
{泳げない|およげない}ようになる
|
|
Past
|
Verb + ようになった
|
{泳げる|およげる}ようになった
|
|
Continuous
|
Verb + ようになっている
|
{泳げる|およげる}ようになっている
|
|
Question
|
Verb + ようになりますか
|
{泳げる|およげる}ようになりますか
|
|
Polite
|
Verb + ようになります
|
{泳げる|およげる}ようになります
|
Formality Spectrum
{日本語|にほんご}が {話せる|はなせる}ようになりました。 (Self-introduction)
{日本語|にほんご}が {話せる|はなせる}ようになった。 (Self-introduction)
{日本語|にほんご}が {話せる|はなせる}ようになったよ。 (Self-introduction)
日本語話せるようになったわ。 (Self-introduction)
The Change Process
Ability
- 話せる can speak
Habit
- 走る run
Examples by Level
{日本語|にほんご}が {話せる|はなせる}ようになった。
I became able to speak Japanese.
{漢字|かんじ}が {読める|よめる}ようになった。
I became able to read kanji.
{自転車|じてんしゃ}に {乗れる|のれる}ようになった。
I became able to ride a bike.
{泳げる|およげる}ようになった。
I became able to swim.
{毎日|まいにち} {走る|はしる}ようになった。
I started running every day.
{朝|あさ} {早く|はやく} {起きる|おきる}ようになった。
I started waking up early in the morning.
{家|いえ}で {料理|りょうり}を {する|する}ようになった。
I started cooking at home.
{コーヒー|こーひー}を {飲まない|のまない}ようになった。
I stopped drinking coffee.
{彼|かれ}は {仕事|しごと}を {休まない|やすまない}ようになった。
He stopped taking days off work.
{最近|さいきん}、{本|ほん}を {読む|よむ}ようになった。
Recently, I have started reading books.
{会議|かいぎ}で {意見|いけん}を {言える|いえる}ようになった。
I became able to express my opinion in meetings.
{彼|かれ}と {話す|はなす}ようになった。
I started talking to him.
{技術|ぎじゅつ}の {進歩|しんぽ}で、{遠く|とおく}の {人|ひと}と {話せる|はなせる}ようになった。
Due to technological progress, we became able to talk to people far away.
{会社|かいしゃ}の {方針|ほうしん}が {変わる|かわる}ようになった。
The company's policy started to change.
{環境|かんきょう}が {改善|かいぜん}されるようになった。
The environment started to be improved.
{彼|かれ}の {態度|たいど}が {変わる|かわる}ようになった。
His attitude started to change.
{徐々に|じょじょに} {自分|じぶん}の {意見|いけん}を {主張|しゅちょう}できるようになってきた。
I have gradually become able to assert my own opinions.
{いつの間にか|いつのまにか} {彼|かれ}を {信頼|しんらい}するようになった。
Before I knew it, I had come to trust him.
{社会|しゃかい}が {多様性|たようせい}を {受け入れる|うけいれる}ようになった。
Society has come to accept diversity.
{不便|ふべん}を {感じない|かんじない}ようになった。
I have come not to feel inconvenience.
{時代|じだい}の {変遷|へんせん}とともに、{価値観|かちかん}も {変わる|かわる}ようになった。
With the passage of time, values have also come to change.
{彼|かれ}の {言葉|ことば}が {重み|おもみ}を {持つ|もつ}ようになった。
His words have come to carry weight.
{自然|しぜん}と {涙|なみだ}が {出る|でる}ようになった。
I have come to shed tears naturally.
{この|この} {町|まち}が {故郷|ふるさと}のように {思える|おもえる}ようになった。
I have come to think of this town as my hometown.
Easily Confused
Both involve verbs, but one is a decision, the other is a process.
Common Mistakes
泳ぐようになる
泳げるようになる
話せるする
話せるようになる
話せるになった
話せるようになった
話せるになる
話せるようになる
毎日走るになった
毎日走るようになった
食べるようになること
食べるようになる
走るようになります
走るようになりました
話せるようになったこと
話せるようになった
話せるようになるだ
話せるようになる
話せるようになるでした
話せるようになりました
話せるようになるはずだ
話せるようになるだろう
話せるようになるべきだ
話せるようになる
話せるようになることだ
話せるようになる
Sentence Patterns
___が___ようになりました。
Real World Usage
研修で、PCが使えるようになりました。
Focus on the process
Smart Tips
Use potential form.
Pronunciation
Rhythm
Ensure 'ni-na-ru' is pronounced clearly.
Falling
～ようになる↓
Statement of fact.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of a 'Yo-Yo' going up and down, representing the gradual change in your life.
Visual Association
Imagine a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. It doesn't happen instantly; it's a process of 'becoming'.
Rhyme
To show a change that's new and clear, add 'you ni naru' so they can hear.
Story
Ken couldn't speak Japanese. He studied every day. Slowly, he became able to speak. Now, he talks to everyone.
Word Web
Challenge
Write 3 things you couldn't do last year but can do now using ～ようになる.
Cultural Notes
Used frequently in self-improvement contexts.
Derived from 'naru' (to become) and 'you' (way/manner).
Conversation Starters
最近、何かできるようになったことはありますか？
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
日本語が話せる___。
Score: /1
Practice Exercises
1 exercises日本語が話せる___。
Score: /1
Practice Bank
10 exercisesようになりました / 日本語を / 話せる
Translate the sentence to Japanese.
Match the pairs:
{最近|さいきん}、{早起|はやお}き {___} ようになりました。
Identify the ability change:
{寒|さむ}いようになりました。
食べなく / 肉を / なりました
Response to: {日本語|にほんご}が{話|はな}せますか？
{以前|いぜん}は{嫌|きら}いでしたが、{納豆|なっとう}が {___} ようになりました。
Translate to Japanese.
Score: /10
FAQ (1)
No, use ～くなる for adjectives.
Scaffolded Practice
1
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
llegar a + infinitive
Spanish uses a specific verb for arrival.
commencer à
Japanese focuses on the process.
anfangen zu
Japanese is about the state change.
أصبح
Arabic is a single verb.
变得
Chinese is more flexible with adjectives.
～ようになる
None.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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