JLPT N4 Grammar point

〜ようになる you ni naru

ようになる means “come to do,” “become able to,” or “reach a state where” something happens. It describes a change in ability, habit, or circumstances: 読めるようになった means “became able to read.” To say something stopped happening, 〜なくなる is common. ようにする instead emphasizes taking steps to bring about a result.

yō ni naru

to come to do·to become able to·to reach the point where

Structure

How it's put together

Verb［dictionary］＋ようになる

食べる → 食べるようになった. The verb stays in its plain dictionary form; なる takes the tense for the whole sentence.

Verb［potential］＋ようになる

読む → 読める → 読めるようになった. This expresses a newly acquired ability.

Verb［dictionary／potential］＋ようになります

Only なる changes. 話せるようになりました — the verb in front of ように never takes ます.

Verb［ない-form minus い］＋くなる

〜なくなる describes no longer doing something: 食べなくなった. ようにならない instead negates the development of a new state.

Meaning

What 〜ようになる means

ようになる describes a change in what is possible, habitual, or otherwise true. 毎朝コーヒーを飲むようになった describes a new habit; it does not specify how long the change took.

With a potential verb, ようになる describes a new ability: 話せるようになった or 読めるようになった. It focuses on the resulting ability, rather than the act of studying or learning.

The whole meaning lives in なる, “to become.” Everything before ように is what you became; なる is the becoming. That's also why the tense sits on なる and nowhere else.

Sentences

6 sentences, word by word

dictionary form · a habit that settled

plain

。

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毎朝

まいあさ［1］

every morning

noun · used adverbially, no particle needed

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コーヒー

コーヒー［3］

coffee

noun · from Dutch koffie

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を

marks the direct object

particle · pronounced お

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飲む

のむ［1］

to drink

godan verb · 飲みます／飲んだ

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ように

into the state of

part of the grammar point

〜ようになるN4came to do

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なった

became

plain past of なる（1）· the tense lives here

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I've come to drink coffee every morning.

potential form · a new ability

polite

。

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日本語

にほんご［0］

Japanese (the language)

noun · 日 sun + 本 origin + 語 language

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の

links noun to noun

particle · “the news of / in Japanese”

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ニュース

ニュース［1］

news

noun · from English

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が

marks what can be done

particle · potential verbs take が, not を

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聞き取れる

ききとれる

to be able to catch / make out

potential of 聞き取る（ききとる・3）· godan

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ように

into the state of

part of the grammar point

〜ようになるN4became able to〜れる／られるN4potential

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なりました

became

polite past of なる · only なる takes ます

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I've become able to catch what they say on the Japanese news.

with a cause · the practice that got you there

plain

、。

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練習して

れんしゅうして

practiced, and…

て-form of 練習する（れんしゅう・0）· suru verb

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自転車

じてんしゃ［2］

bicycle

noun · 自 self + 転 turn + 車 vehicle

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に

onto

particle · 乗る always takes に, never を

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乗れる

のれる

to be able to ride

potential of 乗る（のる・0）· godan

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ように

into the state of

part of the grammar point

〜ようになるN4became able to

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なった

became

plain past of なる（1）

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I practiced, and now I can ride a bike.

about someone else · a change you noticed

polite

。

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息子

むすこ［0］

(my) son

noun · someone else's son is 息子さん

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は

as for — the topic

particle · written は, read わ

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野菜

やさい［0］

vegetables

noun · 野 field + 菜 greens

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も

too; as well

particle · replaces を here, never stacks with it

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食べる

たべる［2］

to eat

ichidan verb · 食べます／食べた

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ように

into the state of

part of the grammar point

〜ようになるN4came to do

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なりました

became

polite past of なる

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My son has come to eat vegetables too.

with 〜てから · the moment the change started

plain

、。

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引っ越して

ひっこして

having moved house

て-form of 引っ越す（ひっこす・3）· godan

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から

since; after

particle · 〜てから = after doing

〜てからN5after doing

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早く

はやく

early

adverb from 早い（はやい・2）· い → く

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寝る

ねる［0］

to go to bed; to sleep

ichidan verb · 寝ます／寝た

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ように

into the state of

part of the grammar point

〜ようになるN4came to do

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なった

became

plain past of なる（1）

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Since moving house, I've started going to bed early.

conditional と · and a plain なる to compare it with

plain

、。

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漢字

かんじ［0］

kanji; Chinese characters

noun · 漢 Han + 字 character

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が

marks what can be done

particle · again が, because 読める is potential

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読める

よめる

to be able to read

potential of 読む（よむ・1）· godan

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ように

into the state of

part of the grammar point

〜ようになるN4become able to

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なると

once (you) become

なる + と · the “whenever A, B” conditional

〜と（条件）N4whenever; once

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旅行

りょこう［0］

travel; a trip

noun · 旅行する = to travel

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が

marks the subject

particle · what becomes fun

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楽しく

たのしく

fun; enjoyable

adverb from 楽しい（たのしい・3）· い → く

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なる

to become

godan verb · adjective + なる needs no ように

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Once you can read kanji, travelling gets fun.

Watch out

Where learners go wrong

ようになる vs ようにする

ようになる describes the resulting change. ようにする emphasizes efforts or arrangements to achieve it: 野菜を食べるようにしている means making a point of eating vegetables.

The negative is 〜なくなる

たばこを吸わなくなった means “I stopped smoking.” 吸うようにならなかった is different: “I did not come to smoke.” The latter is grammatical when the expected change did not occur.

Not for one-off events

Use ようになる to describe a new state, ability, or pattern of behavior. A date such as 昨日 can locate the change; the date alone does not make the sentence ungrammatical.

References