Japanese Grammar Bank

HOW TO USE なる AND する

Describing change in Japanese involves using specific grammar structures to express how something transforms over time.

Understanding these forms helps convey gradual or sudden changes in state, condition, or situation.

USING なる TO DESCRIBE CHANGE

なる(naru) is a Japanese verb, and it is equivalent to the English verb “to become”.

なる follows nouns and both types of adjectives. Let’s see each pattern of use one by one.

い adjective

PATTERN

い adjective く + なる

With い adjective, you first need to turn the adjective into the く form.

It means the final い is dropped and く is added. Then it will be followed by なる.

Let’s learn the natural use of なる from example sentences.

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
日本語の勉強がとても楽しくなりました。Nihon go no benkyou ga totemo tanoshiku nari mashita.Studying Japanese became very enjoyable.
もうすぐ暖かくなります。Mousugu atatakaku narimasu.It will become warm soon.
サッカーの試合に勝ったのでとてもうれしくなりました。Sakaaa no shiai ni katta node totemo ureshiku narimashita.I became very happy because we won a football match.
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japaneseromajienglish
本をたくさん読んだから、頭がよくなりました。Hon wo takusan yonda kara, atama ga yoku narimashita.I became smarter because I have read a lot of books.
背が高くなったね。Se ga takaku nattane.Your height became taller than before.
隣のビルで工事をしているのでうるさくなった。Tonari no biru de kouji wo shite iru node urusaku natta.My surroundings became noisy since the construction started in the next building.

な adjective

With な adjective, you have to change the final な to に, and add なる.

PATTERN

な adjective + に + なる

Let’s see some examples:

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
あの歌手はきっと人気になると思う。Ano kashu wa kitto ninki ni naru to omou.I think that singer will become popular in the near future.
たくさん勉強して、彼の日本語は上手になりました。Takusan benkyou shite, kare no nihongo wa jouzu ni narimashita.His Japanese became very good because he studied very hard.
朝掃除をしたので、部屋がきれいになりました。Asa souji wo shita node, heya ga kirei ni narimashita.My room became clean because I cleaned it this morning.
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japaneseromajienglish
近所にコンビニができて、とても便利になったよ。Kinjo ni konbini ga dekite totemo benri ni nattayo.My area became very convenient because a new convenience store recently opened in my neighborhood.
あの子が彼女になってくれて本当にうれしい。Ano ko ga kanojo ni natte kurete hontou ni ureshii.I am so happy because she became my girlfriend.
弟は学校で有名になりました。Otouto wa gakkou de yuumei ni narimashita.My younger brother became famous in the school.

With nouns

With nouns, you don’t have to drop any sound from the word.

You just need to add に and なる after the noun.

Let’s see some examples:

PATTERN

Noun + に + なる

Examples:

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
ここはもうすぐショッピングモールになるよ。Koko wa mousugu shopping mall ni naruyo.This place will soon become a shopping mall.
私の姉は学校の先生になりました。Watashi no ane wa gakko no sensei ni narimashita.My older sister became a school teacher.
僕の親友は医者になるのが目標です。Boku no shinyuu wa isha ni naru noga mokuhyou desu.My best friend has a goal to become a doctor.
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japaneseromajienglish
先週の誕生日で、20歳になりました。Senshuu no tanjoubi de, 20 sai ni narimashita.I became 20 years old on my birthday last week.
息子は来月から小学1年生になります。Musuko wa raigetsu kara shougaku 1 nensei ni narimasu.My son will become a first-year student in elementary school next month.
あそこはアイスクリーム屋さんになるらしいよ。Asoko wa ice cream ya san ni naru rashiiyo.It seems like that place will become an ice cream shop.

USING する TO DESCRIBE CHANGE

To express changes in Japanese we can also use the verb する in conjunction with the に particle.

PATTERN

Noun + に + する

When you use the verb する with the に particle, it means that you are going to do things toward something.

This changes the meaning of する to mean, “to decide on ~”.

Examples:

JapaneseRomajiEnglish
私はお寿司と味噌汁にします。Watashi wa osushi to misoshiru ni shimasu.I decided to have sushi and miso soup.
やっぱりこれにしました。Yappari kore ni shimashita.I finally decided to go with this one.
マレーシア旅行に行くことにしました。Malaysia ryokou ni iku koto ni shimashita.I decided to go on a short trip to Malaysia.

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FAQs

What is the difference between なる and する when describing change?

なる is used to describe a change that happens naturally or without external influence (e.g., 赤くなる, to turn red), while する is used to describe a change caused by an action or decision (e.g., 部屋をきれいにする, to make the room clean).

Can I use both なる and する with adjectives?

Yes, なる is used with both -i adjectives and -na adjectives to indicate a natural change (e.g., 暑くなる, to become hot).

する is used with nouns and -na adjectives to show an intentional change (e.g., しずかにする, to make it quiet).

How do I form sentences with なる and する for nouns?

To describe a change with nouns, use になる for natural changes (e.g., 先生になる, to become a teacher) and にする for intentional changes (e.g., 先生にする, to make someone a teacher).

What is the difference between なる and する when used with adverbs like もっと?

When used with adverbs like もっと (more), なる indicates that something naturally becomes more of a certain state (e.g., もっと楽しくなる, to become more fun), while する shows that someone actively makes something more of that state (e.g., もっと楽しくする, to make something more fun).

Can なる and する be used in both formal and casual speech?

Yes, both verbs can be used in formal and casual speech. In polite conversation, use なります or します (e.g., 静かになります, It will become quiet; 静かにします, I will make it quiet), while in casual settings, you can use なる and する without the polite endings.

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