N3

〜ようになる

〜ようになる expresses a change into a new state, habit, or ability, especially something that has become possible over time.

Pattern
Verb dictionary form・potential form・ない form + ようになる
Reading time
1 min
Author
-

Examples

日本語が少し話せるようになりました。
I have become able to speak a little Japanese.
毎朝走るようになりました。
I started running every morning.
甘いものを食べないようになりました。
I stopped eating sweet things.
漢字が読めるようになりたいです。
I want to become able to read kanji.

Meaning

〜ようになる means to become able to, to come to, or to start doing something regularly. It describes a change from a previous state to a new state.

Formation

Use the dictionary form, potential form, or negative form of a verb before ようになる. Common forms include 話せるようになる, 行くようになる, and 食べないようになる.

Usage

Use this pattern when talking about progress, new habits, changes in behavior, or abilities that develop over time. It is common in learning, health, work, and lifestyle contexts.

Nuance

This pattern focuses on change. It often implies that something was not true before but is true now, or that a habit gradually appeared.

Comparison

Compared with 〜ようにする, 〜ようになる describes the result or change. 〜ようにする describes effort or intention. 毎日読むようにしています means I try to read every day. 毎日読めるようになりました means I became able to read every day.

Common Mistakes

A common mistake is using 〜ようになる for a simple one-time decision. For a decision, use 〜ことにする or 〜ことになった depending on who decided.

Related Grammar

You ni Naru: 〜ようになる Meaning and Usage | JLPT N3 | LavaJapanese