poñerse / facerse / volverse / quedar

Verbs of Becoming

Level 4

Poñerse = a quick, passing change. Facerse = a slow change. Volverse = a deep change in who someone is. Quedar = the result after something happens.

How It Works

Four verbs for one English idea

English uses get, go, turn and become almost freely. Galician chooses the verb by the kind of change.

  • poñerse + adjective: a quick, often brief change in feelings, colour or health. Púxose nervioso (he got nervous).
  • facerse + adjective or noun: a gradual change, over time or with effort. Fíxose vello (he grew old).
  • volverse + adjective: a deep change in character or nature. Volveuse tolo (he went mad).
  • quedar + adjective or participle: the state left after an event. Quedou cego (he went blind).

Poñerse. Think of a switch: Púxose moi contenta coa noticia. Poñerse ben means to get better after an illness. The preterite forms are irregular: puxen, puxo, puxemos. See the preterite of pór.

Facerse suggests a process: Co tempo fíxose rico. It also appears in faise tarde (it is getting late).

Volverse changes who someone is: Volveuse moi desconfiado despois do roubo. Tornarse is a synonym.

Quedar describes a result: Quedei abraiada co que vin (I was amazed at what I saw). The Real Academia Galega recommends quedar without se in this meaning: quedou cego is preferred to quedouse cego.

Turning into something else. For a complete transformation, Galician often uses converterse en + noun: O sapo converteuse nun príncipe (the frog turned into a prince). Facerse also takes a noun for a role reached over time: Fíxose médico (he became a doctor).

Do not confuse poñerse a + infinitive, which means to start doing something: see starting actions.

Examples (6)

  1. Púxose vermello cando a viu.

    He went red when he saw her.

    A quick, brief change: poñerse.

  2. Puxémonos moi contentos coa noticia.

    We got very happy at the news.

    A feeling that came suddenly: poñerse.

  3. Co tempo fíxose rico.

    Over time he became rich.

    A slow change: facerse.

  4. Volveuse moi desconfiado despois do roubo.

    He became very distrustful after the burglary.

    A change in character: volverse.

  5. Quedou cego nun accidente.

    He went blind in an accident.

    The lasting result of an event: quedar, without se.

  6. Quedei abraiada co que vin.

    I was amazed at what I saw.

    The speaker is a woman, so the adjective is feminine.

Common Mistakes

  • Using Spanish preterite forms of poñer.

    Púsose nervioso antes do exame.
    Púxose nervioso antes do exame.

    The Galician preterite of poñer is puxo, so poñerse gives púxose.

  • Using volverse for a brief feeling, which gives the wrong meaning.

    Volveuse vermella de vergoña.
    Púxose vermella de vergoña.

    Blushing is a quick, passing change, so it takes poñerse. Volverse describes a slow change that makes someone different, as in Volveuse tolo.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

poñerse / facerse / volverse / quedarLevel 4Verbs of Becoming

Learn This First

Becoming verbs distinguish different paths into a new state.

Words in This Pattern

poñerfacervolverquedar