Verbs of Transformation or Change

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.

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.

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.

It is also commonly used with emotions. In this case, it refers to quick, brief changes.

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.

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.

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.