Ku Naru and Ni Naru: Describe a Change

なる describes becoming or changing into a state. Use くなる with an i-adjective and になる with a na-adjective or noun. This focuses on the change itself; a person deliberately making something a certain way uses a different pattern with する.

Formation and use

寒い→寒くなる and 高い→高くなる follow the adverbial く form. いい becomes よくなる. For polite statements conjugate なる: なります・なりました.

Na-adjectives use に: 静かになる, 元気になる. Nouns also use に: 先生になる, 三十歳になる. Neither な nor で is the ordinary connector in this basic change pattern.

Comparisons and common errors

静かになりました reports that something became quiet. 静かにしました describes someone making it quiet. Context can omit the subject, so track who or what changes and who acts.

An i-adjective negative also changes: 寒くない→寒くなくなる means becoming not cold. For the first exercises, focus on affirmative changes and do not confuse なる with the existence verb ある.

Practise with explanations

Try the 10 questions below, or open the practice set. Check each answer or the whole set, read the explanation, and retry mistakes. First-attempt results are kept separately on this device.

Connected lessons

• Ku and Ni: Use Adjectives to Describe Actions
• Japanese I-Adjectives: Negative and Past Forms
• Japanese Na-Adjectives: Na, Da, and Conjugation