B1 · Ser, estar and hay
«become»: ponerse, quedarse, volverse, hacerse
English spreads «become» over get, go, turn and become — Spanish has five verbs of its own, chosen by the kind of change.
At a glance
- Remember
- Mood: ponerse. Aftermath: quedarse. Character: volverse. A road taken: hacerse. Before a noun: convertirse en.
- Form
- Se puso nervioso.quick, passing: mood, looks
- Signal words
- se puso
- se quedó
- se volvió
- se hizo
- se convirtió en
- Trap
- Wrong:Se hizo nervioso antes del examen.Right:Se puso nervioso antes del examen.
Your turn
5 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.
The form
| quick, passing: mood, looks | Se puso nervioso. |
| state after an event | Se quedó sin trabajo. |
| deep change of character | Se volvió muy serio. |
| by intention or effort: profession, religion | Se hizo abogada. |
| from one thing into another | La casa se convirtió en un museo. |
| after a long road | Llegó a ser director. |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
ponerse plus an adjective names a quick, passing change.
Cuando habla en público, se pone nerviosa.When she speaks in public, she gets nervous.
quedarse names the state that remains after an event.
Después del accidente se quedó ciego.After the accident he went blind.
hacerse is for a profession, a religion or wealth that someone reaches.
Mi prima se hizo veterinaria.My cousin became a vet.
convertirse en comes before a noun.
La crisis se convirtió en un problema político.The crisis turned into a political problem.
Example sentences
Al oír la noticia, se puso pálida.When she heard the news, she went pale.
Con los años se ha vuelto muy tranquilo.Over the years he has become very calm.
Se hizo famoso con su primera novela.He became famous with his first novel.
Nos quedamos sin palabras.We were left speechless.
6 more example sentences
Se puso muy contento con el regalo.He was delighted with the present.
Nos quedamos sin gasolina en la autopista.We ran out of petrol on the motorway.
Se volvió más prudente después de aquello.He became more careful after that.
Se hicieron amigos en el colegio.They became friends at school.
La pequeña tienda se convirtió en una gran empresa.The little shop turned into a big company.
Llegó a ser la mejor de su promoción.She became the best in her year.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
«Become» sends the learner looking for one verb, and the choice usually falls on hacerse: Se hizo nervioso. A mood that comes and goes takes ponerse, though — here English «got nervous» is the better guide: Se puso nervioso. hacerse needs a road someone travels — a profession, a fortune — not nerves before an exam.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
English already splits the idea — get angry, go blind, turn serious, become a doctor — but its split does not line up with the Spanish one, so none of the English verbs can be carried across directly. Spanish asks what kind of change is meant, and the choice almost always hangs on the word that follows.
ponerse is for a quick, passing change of mood, health or looks: Se puso rojo, Me pongo nervioso. quedarse names the state that remains after an event, often after a loss: Se quedó ciego, Me quedé sin trabajo. volverse describes a deep, often unexpected change of character: Se volvió muy desconfiado.
hacerse needs intention or a long road — a profession, a religion, wealth: Se hizo médico, Se hizo rico. convertirse en comes before a noun and stresses the change from one thing into another: El pueblo se convirtió en una ciudad. llegar a ser says that it came to that after a long effort: Llegó a ser ministra.
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