Download the free ‘Verbos de Cambio’ Guide here.
Video Lesson Here
Spanish has several verbs used
to express change or transformation.
They’re known as los verbos de cambio, and they’re often translated as ‘to become’ in English.
Each verb reflects a different type of change - temporary, permanent, voluntary, involuntary, emotional, physical, or social.
There are 6 Verbos de Cambio in Spanish👇
Volverse - To become / Turn Into
Used to express an involuntary change (of attitude) or a new characteristic
that someone acquires.
Convertirse en - To become
Important transformation or radical change. It shows and evolution from one thing
to another.
Ponerse - To become
Changes of an emotional or physical nature, likely to last for a short amount of time.
Hacerse - To become
Expresses a voluntary change that required effort and dedication to achieve.
Llegar a ser - To become / manage to be
A gradual change, or process thanks to effort, dedication and time.
Quedarse - To end up / be left
Shows a negative or physical change - often permanent.
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You may have noticed that many
of the verbos de cambio
are reflexive.
So before we look at them
in context, let’s quickly review the reflexive pronouns
in bold
below, looking at hacerse in the preterite tense 👇
Me hice
Te hiciste
Se hizo
Nos hicimos
Os hicisteis
Se hicieron
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1) Volverse
Volverse expresses an uncontrolled
or involuntary change - often
referring to character, attitude
or behaviour.
It’s not a forced change; it usually happens over time.
e.j Kristian se volvió loco
Kristian became/turned crazy
e.j Elena se volvió una mala persona
Elena became/turned into a bad person
—
2) Hacerse
Hacerse also expresses a voluntary change, but one that required
effort & dedication to achieve.
It’s commonly used for professions, social roles,
or ideologies.
e.j Me hice abogado
I became a lawyer
e.j Martin se hizo budista
Martin became a Buddhist
—
3) Convertirse en
Convertirse en indicates a major transformation or evolution from
one thing into another.
It can express literal or figurative change.
e.j El niño se convirtió en un hombre
The boy became a man
e.j El agua se convierte en vapor
The water turns into steam
—
4) Ponerse
Ponerse indicates short-term, temporary, or sudden changes, usually emotional
or physical.
e.j Los alumnos se pusieron enojados
The students became angry
e.j Claudia se puso roja al ver Jason
Claudia turned red when she saw Jason
—
5) Llegar a ser
Llegar a ser expresses a gradual transformation, usually positive
and achieved through effort, dedication and time.
e.j Llegamos a ser amigos
We became friends
e.j Steve llegó a ser el CEO de la compañía
Steve became CEO of the company
—
6) Quedarse
Quedarse is used for negative physical or emotional changes, often irreversible or long-lasting.
e.j Maria se quedó sorda después de la explosión
Maria went deaf after the explosion
e.j La mujer se ha quedado paralítica
The woman has been left paralysed
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So there we go chic@s, los verbos de cambio in Spanish.
They take a bit of time to practice and get used to but once you get the hang
of them you can start to really impress the locals.
Any questions, send me an email 🙂
Un abrazo,
Harrison
Language for living, not just learning
