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JLPT N4Grammar Patterns

ようになる— Come to / Become able to (gradual change)

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."

Grammar path · 練習

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Pro lessonUNIT 85 · GRAMMAR PATTERNS

Structure · 形

[Verb dictionary / potential / negative] + ようになる

Examples · 例文

  • 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

Usage notes · 注意

  • 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).

Commonly confused with

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.

vsようにする

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).

vs〜くなる / 〜になる

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).

More grammar patterns

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