Expresses a gradual change in ability or habit — something that was not the case before has now become true. "Has come to / has become able to."
[Verb dictionary / potential / negative] + ようになる
練習して、泳げるようになった。
Renshuu shite, oyogeru you ni natta.
I practiced and became able to swim.
泳げる (can swim, potential) + ようになった
日本語が少し話せるようになりました。
Nihongo ga sukoshi hanaseru you ni narimashita.
I've come to be able to speak a little Japanese.
話せる + ようになりました (gradual change)
父は最近、朝ご飯を作るようになった。
Chichi wa saikin, asagohan o tsukuru you ni natta.
My father has recently come to make breakfast.
作る + ようになった = a habit that was not there before has now formed
• Key Concept: ようになる = gradual change in state/ability. • Note: くなる = adjective change. • Detail: ようになった = achieved after effort. • Negative: 食べないようになった (came to not eat). • Compare: ようにする (make effort toward).
The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones ようになる is tested against.
ようになる = a change that happened (became able to / came to do); ようにする = the speaker's intentional effort to bring about or maintain that behavior (try to / make sure to).
Plain 〜くなる/〜になる mark change of an adjective/noun state (寒くなる = get cold); ようになる specifically marks a change in a verb-based ability or habit (読めるようになる = come to be able to read).
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