Expressing Change in Japanese: Naru and Suru
Things are always changing. The weather gets warmer, people get older, and traffic lights turn green. In Japanese, the verb なる (naru), meaning "to become," is used to express these changes. The way you use it depends on whether you're starting with an adjective or a noun.
With い-Adjectives
To say that something is becoming like an い-adjective, you first have to turn the adjective into its adverb form, which you learned in lesson 2-3.
The Formula
Drop the final 「い」, add 「く」 + なる (naru)
暑い (atsui) → 暑くなる (atsuku naru)
"to become hot"
だんだん暑くなりますね。(Dandan atsuku narimasu ne.)
It's gradually getting hot, isn't it?
背が高い (se ga takai) → 背が高くなった (se ga takaku natta)
"became tall"
息子は背が高くなりました。(Musuko wa se ga takaku narimashita.)
My son has gotten tall.
With な-Adjectives and Nouns
For な-adjectives and nouns, the rule is even simpler. You don't need to change the word itself, you just add a particle.
The Formula
[な-Adjective / Noun] + に + なる (naru)
静か (shizuka) → 静かになる (shizuka ni naru)
"to become quiet"
部屋が静かになりました。(Heya ga shizuka ni narimashita.)
The room became quiet.
医者 (isha) → 医者になる (isha ni naru)
"to become a doctor"
将来、医者になりたいです。(Shōrai, isha ni naritai desu.)
I want to become a doctor in the future.