To become

[ducviloxi]

Cual frase es correcta? Quiero traducir "to become" a español!

ejemplo #1:

[to become a professor it is necesarry to study at lot]
Para convertirte un profesor es necesario estudiar mucho!

Para llegar a ser un profesor es necesario estudiar mucho!

ejemplo #2:

[I have become wise]
He llegado a ser astuto

¿Cuando tengo que usar convertirse y cuando "llegar a ser"?

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Some corrections and explanations below.

¿Cuál frase es correcta? ¡Quiero traducir "to become" a al español!

ejemplo #1:

[to become a professor it is necesarry to study at lot]
Para convertirte (second person fine if you're directly talking to someone about his/her personal situation, but if you're expressing a more general idea, an impersonal would be preferred ("convertirse") un en profesor es necesario estudiar mucho!:good:
Also, "para volverse profesor..."

¡Para llegar a ser (un) profesor es necesario estudiar mucho!:good:

ejemplo #2:


He llegado a ser astuto. "Astuto" is rather "smart"/"clever". "Wise" is better translated with "[I]sabio".

¿Cuándo tengo que usar "convertirse" y cuándo "llegar a ser"?

"Llegar a ser" is used when some kind of effort is implied in the transformation process.

·Poco a poco llegó a ser mi peor enemigo.
(Also acceptable "Poco a poco se volvió / se convirtió en mi peor enemigo".)
Little by little he became my worst enemy.

·Cada semana ahorraba un poco, hasta que llegué a ser millonario.
(Also acceptable "...hasta que me convertí / me volví millonario".)
Every week I saved a little (money), until I became to be rich.


"Convertirse en" / "volverse" are used when something or someone is turned into something different than what it was.

·El sapo se convirtió en princesa.
The frog became a princess. (The frog didn't make any effort to become a princess.)

·La fiesta se convirtió/se volvió una pesadilla.
The party turned into a nightmare. (The party can't make any effort for becoming something different.)

·Los celos lo hicieron volverse muy agresivo. -> no "convertirse en" here, because "agresivo" is an adjective, not a noun. However, one can say: "Los celos lo convirtieron en un hombre muy agresivo".
Greed made him become stingy.



Final note: Please never forget opening question and exclamation marks, they're not gratuituous gratuitous. :)

[ducviloxi]

Angelica, otraz vez... ¡muchas gracias por su ayuda valiosa!

[Perikles]

·El sapo se convirtió en princesa.
The frog became a princess. (The frog didn't make any effort to become a princess.)But frogs never become princesses, only princes. :D

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

:lol: They call it gender equality nowadays. ;)

Ok... "El sapo se convirtió en príncipe" -> The frog became a prince.

Oh, by the way, please note in Spanish the prince is a toad and in English he's a frog. :D

[Perikles]

Oh, by the way, please note in Spanish the prince is a toad and in English he's a frog. :DGood point. Do you think this is because it´s el sapo, but la rana? La rana would have to undergo a sex change to become a prince, which would be ridiculous, but el sapo wouldn´t. :thinking::D

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

:lol: I guess that's the idea... despite the fact that there are "sapos hembra" and "ranas macho". ;)

[Rusty]

But frogs never become princesses, only princes. :DWhat about the fairy tales about a 'frog princess'?

:lol: I guess that's the idea... despite the fact that there are "sapos hembra" and "ranas macho". ;)I'll add that masculine and feminine nouns should be thought of as two types of nouns, completely removing the idea of gender.

[ducviloxi]

an additional question, if I wanted to say "I become tired after a little while":

llego a ser cansado despues un poco rato

[Rusty]

I would use the pronominal form of the verb, which means 'to become tired':
Me canso después de ...

after = después de

[micho]

an additional question, if I wanted to say "I become tired after a little while":

llego a ser cansado(todo eso es "cansarse") despues un poco rato

Me cansé después de un ratito, o mejor aún, Me cansé al poco rato.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@ducviloxi: Your intuition that "llegar a" may be used for "to become tired" is right, although it needs a little change; you can say: "Llego a sentirme cansado después de un rato" (I get to feel tired after a while) or "llego a estar cansado después de un rato" (I get to be tired after a while.)