Spanish 6.6. Verbs of Change: “Ponerse,” “Volverse,” “Hacerse,” “Quedar,” “Convertirse en,” & “Llegar a”

The main verbs used to describe change in Spanish are: “ponerse,” “volverse,” “hacerse,” “quedar,” “convertirse en,” and “llegar a.”

In Spanish, selecting the proper verb to describe a change can be tricky. This depends on the nature of change in a state or emotion:

• whether the change is temporary or permanent
• whether the change is voluntary or involuntary
• whether the change is sudden or the result of a process

1. “Ponerse”

This verb describes temporary, involuntary, and sudden changes, especially in emotions, for example:

Se puso triste después de la muerte de su esposa.	He became sad after the death of his wife.
Me pongo feliz cada vez que te veo.	I become happy every time I see you.

2. “Volverse”

This verb describes permanent, involuntary, and sudden changes. It usually describes changes into a negative state of mind, for example:

Se volvió loca cuando escuchó la noticia.	She went crazy when she heard the news.
Se va a volver obsesivo a causa de eso.	He’ll become obsessive because of this.

3. “Hacerse”

This verb describes permanent and voluntary changes, regardless of whether the change is sudden or the result of a process. It is usually used to refer to change in religion, belief, or ideology, for example:

Esa famosa cantante se hizo musulmana.	That famous singer became Muslim.
Se hizo socialista.	He became a socialist.

4. “Quedar”

This verb describes a change that is the result of a process or an accident, regardless of whether it is permanent or temporary and regardless of whether it is voluntary or involuntary, for example:

Quedó muy cansado después del partido.	He got tired after the match.
Ella quedó embarazada.	She got pregnant.
Él quedó paralítico a causa del accidente.	He got paralyzed because of the accident.

5. “Convertirse en”

This verb describes a change that is the result of a process that leads to an important change, regardless of whether it is permanent or temporary and regardless of whether it is voluntary or involuntary, for example:

Nueva York se convirtió en la capital financiera global.	New York became the global financial capital.
Su proyecto se convertirá en un gran negocio.	His project will become a large business.

6. “Llegar a”

This verb describes a change that is the result of a process that involved an effort to achieve the goal, regardless of whether it is permanent or temporary and regardless of whether it is voluntary or involuntary, for example:

Messi llegó a ser el mejor jugador de fútbol.	Messi became the best football player.
Este senador llegará a ser el presidente del país.	This senator will become the president of the country.

Summary

The table below presents a summary of the verbs of change: “ponerse,” “volverse,” “hacerse,” “quedar,” “convertirse en,” and “llegar a.”

ponerse	temporary	involuntary	sudden	emotions
volverse	permanent	involuntary	sudden	negative state of mind
hacerse	permanent	voluntary	–	belief or ideology
quedar	–	–	–	process or accident
convertirse en	–	–	process	important change
llegar a	–	–	process	involves effort

Next: Reflexive Passive, Impersonal, & Accidental “Se”

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