CONTENT
Spanish, similar to languages like French or English, has verbs of change, becoming, or transformation. These emphasize the process of temporal or permanent change in the physical or emotional state of a person or object.
Spanish
English
Elena se puso en forma para el maratón.
Elena got in shape for the marathon.
You will notice that most of the verbs we will be reviewing carry the "se" pronoun. This is because the action performed by the subject of the sentence falls on the subject itself. This also means that you will need to conjugate the verb accordingly, just as you would with other reflexive verbs.
Verbs that Emphasize the Process
Llegar a ser
Rule 1. The verbal periphrasis llegar a ser in Spanish expresses the change from one state to another while emphasizing the challenges or difficulty of the process. Therefore, it also emphasizes the progressive change that occurred over a long period of time.
Llegar a ser can also be interchanged with convertirse en.
Spanish
English
A Brenda le costó mucho llegar a ser la empresaria que es hoy.
It took Brenda a long time to become the entrepreneur she is today.
Paola espinoza ha llegado a ser de las mejores clavadistas mexicanas.
Paola Espinoza has become one of the best Mexican divers.
As you'll notice from the examples, the verb llegar can be conjugated in the tense that best fits what you are trying to express. This is the case for all the verbs we will be reviewing.
Ponerse
Rule 2. The verb ponerse in Spanish expresses the change from one state to another while emphasizing the process or transition.
Spanish
English
Mauricio se puso en forma este verano.
Mauricio got in shape this summer.
El semestre se puso muy difícil ya al final.
The semester became very difficult towards the end.
It is also commonly used with emotions. In this case, it refers to quick, brief changes.
Spanish
English
Esa persona me está poniendo nerviosa.
That person is making me nervous.
Quedarse
Rule 3. The verb quedarse tends to be used in a negative light. It also expresses the change from one state to another while emphasizing the result of this transition. In contrast with ponerse, however, the changes expressed with this verb tend to be more permanent.
Spanish
English
Todos los hombres de mi familia se han quedado calvos a partir de los 30.
All the men in my family have gone bald in their 30s.
Verbs that Express Emotional Changes
Rule 4. There are other verbs that highlight how a person has moved from one emotion to an opposite one rather than emphasizing the process or transition.
| Emotion | What it means |
|---|---|
| alegrarse de | becoming cheerful after being sad, serious, etc. |
| enamorarse | to fall in love with someone |
| cansarse | from rested to tired |
| relajarse | from nervous or stressed to relaxed |
| soprenderse | move on to feeling surprised |
| Emotion | What it means |
|---|---|
| alegrarse de | becoming cheerful after being sad, serious, etc. |
| enamorarse | to fall in love with someone |
| cansarse | from rested to tired |
| relajarse | from nervous or stressed to relaxed |
| soprenderse | move on to feeling surprised |
Spanish
English
Mi hermano se alegró al ver a su novia después de mucho tiempo.
My brother was happy to see his girlfriend after a long time.
Verbs that Express Physical Changes
Rule 5. Finally, some verbs emphasize changing from one physical state to another. These verbs tend to be used with objects.
| Emotion | What it means |
|---|---|
| apagarse | from on to off |
| prenderse | from off to on |
| calentarse | from cold to warm/hot |
| enfriarse | from hot to cold |
| mojarse | from dry to wet |
| secarse | from wet to dry |
| Emotion | What it means |
|---|---|
| apagarse | from on to off |
| prenderse | from off to on |
| calentarse | from cold to warm/hot |
| enfriarse | from hot to cold |
| mojarse | from dry to wet |
| secarse | from wet to dry |
Spanish
English
Ay no, la comida ya se enfrió.
Oh no, the food is already cold.
Quiz
1/4
Por la lluvia ___ toda la ropa del tendedero.
0
correct answers.