Verbs of change: ponerse, volverse, hacerse…
English “become / get” has several Spanish equivalents. The choice depends on how lasting the change is and whether effort is involved.
| verb | type of change | example |
|---|---|---|
| ponerse + adj. | sudden, temporary (mood, colour, health) | Se puso nerviosa. Me pongo rojo. |
| volverse + adj. | radical, often negative, lasting | Se volvió loco. Se ha vuelto muy egoísta. |
| hacerse + noun / adj. | gradual, often by effort or choice | Se hizo médico. Se hizo rico. |
| convertirse en + noun | transformation | Se convirtió en una estrella. |
| quedarse + adj. | result after an event | Se quedó sorprendido / ciego / sin trabajo. |
| llegar a ser | reach after a long process | Llegó a ser presidente. |
Notes
- Many changes have their own verb: enfadarse (get angry), cansarse (get tired), enamorarse (fall in love), envejecer (get old), adelgazar (lose weight).
- quedarse also = stay: Me quedo en casa.
Examples
- Cuando le dieron la noticia, se puso a llorar y se puso pálido.When they told him the news, he started crying and went pale.
- Con los años se ha vuelto más tranquilo.Over the years he has become calmer.
- Mi hermana se hizo abogada.My sister became a lawyer.
- Nos quedamos sin palabras.We were left speechless.
- Después de la noticia, se volvió muy callado.After the news, he became very quiet.
Common mistakes
- ✗ Me hice rojo.✓ Me puse rojo.Ponerse is for sudden, temporary changes such as blushing. English “got red” does not say which Spanish verb of change to use.
- ✗ Se puso médico.✓ Se hizo médico.Hacerse is for a change you work towards, such as a profession. English “became a doctor” uses the same verb as “became tired”.
- ✗ Se convirtió a rey.✓ Se convirtió en rey.Convertirse takes en. English “turned into” has no “in”, so learners reach for a, as after “turn to”.
- ✗ Se hizo nervioso.✓ Se puso nervioso.A passing mood is ponerse. Hacerse would suggest nervousness became part of his character through effort.
- ✗ Se puso dormido.✓ Se quedó dormido.Quedarse names the state you end up in after falling asleep. English “got asleep” is not used, so the literal copy fails.