To Become
In Arabic, the idea of “to become” is usually expressed using the verbs صَارَ or أَصْبَحَ, and sometimes أَمْسَى, بَاتَ, and أَضْحَى — though these last ones are mostly used in formal or literary language. Usually, these verbs appear in the past tense (الفِعْلُ الْمَاضِي).
Examples:
“In the end, he became a very traditional artist.”
فِي النِّهَايَةِ، صَارَ فَنَّانًا تَقْلِيدِيًّا جِدًّا.
“We became very close friends after his wife’s death.”
أَصْبَحْنَا أَصْدِقَاءَ حَمِيمِينَ لِلنِّهَايَةِ بَعْدَ وَفَاةِ زَوْجَتِهِ.
“They would have become enemies if I hadn’t told them how much they needed each other.”
لَوْ لَمْ أُخْبِرْهُمْ كَمْ هُمْ بِحَاجَةٍ إِلَى بَعْضِهِم، لَأَصْبَحُوا أَعْدَاءً.
“I’m sure she will become a good painter.”
أَنَا مُتَأَكِّدٌ مِنْ أَنَّهَا سَتُصْبِحُ رَسَّامَةً جَيِّدَةً.
Note:
Some of these verbs like أَصْبَحَ (also means “to be in the morning”), أَمْسَى (to be in the evening), and بَاتَ (to spend the night) can be used as main verbs, not just as linking verbs.
Example:
بَاتَ فِي بَيْتِ جَدِّهَا
She spent the night at her grandfather’s house.
Other Examples of “To Become” Without Using صَارَ or أَصْبَحَ:
Sometimes, Arabic doesn’t use linking verbs at all and instead uses action verbs that carry the meaning of becoming:
• كَبُرَ (u) – to become big / grow up
• صَغُرَ (u) – to become small
• تَعَقَّدَ – to become complicated
• نَحُفَ (u) – to become thin
• سَمِنَ (a) – to become fat
• صَمَّ (a) – to become deaf
• سَكَتَ (u) – to become silent
More Uses:
أَصْبَحَ تَصَرُّفُ الْحُكُومَةِ يُكْشِفُ مَوْقِفَهَا الْمُتَطَرِّفَ تُجَاهَ الأَقَلِّيَّاتِ الدِّينِيَّةِ الْمَوْجُودَةِ فِي الْبِلَادِ.
The government’s behavior shows its extremist stance toward religious minorities in the country.
أَصْبَحَتِ الْحَقِيقَةُ وَاضِحَةً بَعْدَ وُصُولِ الْمُدِيرِ الْجَدِيدِ.
The truth became clear after the new director arrived.