You ni naru

meaning: to reach the point that; to come to be that; to turn into ~

Often used with potential

!!! Example

`もう五年も日本語を勉強しているけど、話せるようにならない。`

`Mou go-nen mo nihongo o benkyou shiteiru kedo, hanaseru you ni naranai.`

Translation `"I've been studying Japanese for five years, but I still can't speak it."`

NOTE: naranai is present tense and not past tense

!!! Example

`ichinen tattara hontou ni eigo ga hanaseru you ni naru ndarouka`

`"I wonder if I will really be able to speak English after one year."`

Translation `"I've been studying Japanese for five years, but I still can't speak it."`

Verb (dictionary-form) ようになりました Verb (dictionary-form) you ni narimashita

Meaning: change in habitual action.

Verb (potential-form) ようになりました Verb (potential-form) you ni narimashita

Meaning: change in ability or possibility.

Verb (dictionary-form) you ni naru

This grammar demonstrates the change in habitual action of someone. For instance, you don't do something in the past but are doing it currently.

Maybe you don't smoke in the past, but recently you took up the habit of smoking.

Normally you can express this change in habitual action in two sentences like...

昔はたばこを吸いませんでした。今はたばこを吸います。

mukashi wa tabako wo suimasendeshita. ima wa tabako wo suimasu

Meaning: I didn't smoke in the past. I smoke now.

However by using Verb (dictionary-form) you ni naru, you can express the same action in a single sentence...

たばこを吸うようになりました。

tabako wo suu you ni narimashita

たばこを吸う (tabako wo suu) is the present state where you smoke now. It also means that in the past you didn't smoke.

So from the above sentence you can conclude two things: You didn't smoke in the past, but you smoke now.

More Examples

新聞を読むようになりました。 shinbun wo yomu you ni narimashita

Meaning: I didn't read newspaper in the past. I read newspaper now.

ジャズを聞くようになりました。 jazu wo kiku you ni narimashita

Meaning: I didn't listen to Jazz in the past. I listen to Jazz now.

歌を歌うようになりました。 uta wo utau you ni narimashita

Meaning: I didn't sing in the past. I sing now.

When to Use Verb (potential-form) you ni naru?

You will need to use the potential verb when you want to show the change in ability or possibility instead.

Using the same example of smoking, let's say that in your country you are not allowed to smoke until you are 18 years old. Normally you can express this in the following sentences like...

十六歳の時、たばこが吸えませんでした。

今は十八歳です。たばこが吸えます。

juurossai no toki, tabako ga suemasendeshita.

ima wa juuhassai desu. tabako ga suemasu

Meaning: I couldn't smoke when I was sixteen. I am eighteen now. I can smoke.

By using Verb (potential-form) you ni naru, you can express the same situation in only one sentence...

たばこが吸えるようになりました。

tabako ga sueru you ni narimashita

The above example shows the change in possibility was occurred. How about the change in ability?

Let's say that you were not able to read Japanese in the past. After studying Japanese for 5 years, now you can read Japanese newspaper. You can express this situation in the following sentences...

昔は日本語の新聞が読めませんでした。

今は日本語の新聞が読めます。

mukashi wa nihongo no shinbun ga yomemasendeshita.

ima wa nihongo no shinbun ga yomemasu

Meaning: I couldn't read Japanese newspaper in the past. I can read now.

Again by using Verb (potential-form) you ni naru, you can express the same situation in only one sentence...

日本語の新聞が読めるようになりました。

nihongo no shinbun ga yomeru you ni narimashita

More Examples

日本語の歌が歌えるようになりました。 nihongo no uta ga utaeru you ni narimashita

Meaning: I couldn't sing Japanese song in the past. I can sing now.

漢字が書けるようになりました。 kanji ga kakeru you ni narimashita

Meaning: I couldn't write kanji in the past. I can write now.

日本語の漫画が読めるようになりました。 nihongo no manga ga yomeru you ni narimashita

Meaning: I couldn't read Japanese manga in the past. I can read now.