to come to do, to reach the point where

Dictionary or potential form plus ようになる marks a gradual change in ability or habit: something that was not the case has become so. With a negative verb it means you have stopped doing something, as in 食べないようになった. It emphasizes the process of change, not a single event.

Examples

• 日本語にほんごが話はなせるようになりました。

  Nihongo ga hanaseru you ni narimashita.

  I have become able to speak Japanese.

• 息子むすこは一人ひとりで服ふくが着きられるようになりました。

  Musuko wa hitori de fuku ga kirareru you ni narimashita.

  My son has become able to dress himself.

Vocabulary in these examples

• 日本語 Japanese language
• なる to become
• 息子 son
• 服 clothes
• 着る to wear (upper body)

Related patterns · Purpose and change

• 〜ために in order to, for the sake of
• 〜ように（目的） so that, in order that
• 〜ようにする to make an effort to, to try to make a habit of