How to Say "to turn" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to turn” is “girar” — use 'girar' when something rotates on an axis or when you need to change direction, like turning a corner..
Examples
El coche giró bruscamente para evitar el obstáculo.
The car turned sharply to avoid the obstacle.
ponerse
poh-NEHR-nohs/poˈneɾnos/
Examples
Se puso rojo cuando le preguntaron por su error.
He turned red when they asked him about his mistake.
La película es tan triste que podríamos ponernos a llorar.
The movie is so sad that we might start to cry (become tearful).
No queremos ponernos celosos por su éxito.
We don't want to get jealous because of their success.
El cielo empezó a ponernos nerviosos con ese color gris.
The sky started to make us nervous with that gray color.
Change of State
When 'ponerse' is followed by an adjective (like tristes or nerviosos), it describes a temporary change in how someone feels or looks.
Confusing 'ser' and 'estar'
Mistake: “Vamos a ser contentos.”
Correction: Vamos a ponernos contentos. (Use 'ponerse' to describe the action of changing into that state.)
volverse
/bol-ver-se//bolˈbeɾse/
Examples
Con la fama, se ha vuelto muy arrogante.
With fame, he has turned very arrogant.
Después del accidente, se volvió muy callado.
After the accident, he became very quiet (reserved).
Con el tiempo, el agua se volvió hielo.
Over time, the water turned into ice.
Ella se volvió loca cuando perdió las llaves.
She went crazy when she lost the keys.
Reflexive Change
This verb is always reflexive (using me, te, se, etc.) when it means 'to become' because the subject is changing themselves.
Volverse vs. Ponerse
Use 'volverse' for deep, lasting, or unexpected changes in character or state, and 'ponerse' for temporary emotional changes (e.g., 'ponerse triste' - to get sad).
Using 'Ser' for Change
Mistake: “El niño fue alto.”
Correction: El niño se volvió alto. (You need a verb of change, not just 'ser', to describe the process of becoming something.)
hacerse
ah-SEHR-seh/aˈθeɾse/
Examples
Ya se está haciendo tarde para la cena.
It's already getting late for dinner.
¡Vámonos, se está haciendo tarde!
Let's go, it's getting late!
Cuando me hice mayor, entendí a mis padres.
When I got older, I understood my parents.
Se hizo de noche rápidamente después de la tormenta.
It became night quickly after the storm.
Impersonal Time
When talking about time passing or daylight changing (like 'getting dark' or 'getting light'), you use the third-person singular form: 'se hace'.
Hacerse + Adjective
This meaning is often followed by adjectives like 'tarde' (late), 'mayor' (older), or 'viejo' (old).
Mixing up 'getting old'
Mistake: “Estoy haciendo viejo.”
Correction: Me estoy haciendo viejo. (You must include the reflexive pronoun 'me' because you are the one changing.)
ponernos
poh-NEHR-nohs/poˈneɾnos/
Examples
Nos pusimos a reír al escuchar el chiste.
We started to laugh (turned to laughing) upon hearing the joke.
La película es tan triste que podríamos ponernos a llorar.
The movie is so sad that we might start to cry (become tearful).
No queremos ponernos celosos por su éxito.
We don't want to get jealous because of their success.
El cielo empezó a ponernos nerviosos con ese color gris.
The sky started to make us nervous with that gray color.
Change of State
When 'ponerse' is followed by an adjective (like tristes or nerviosos), it describes a temporary change in how someone feels or looks.
Confusing 'ser' and 'estar'
Mistake: “Vamos a ser contentos.”
Correction: Vamos a ponernos contentos. (Use 'ponerse' to describe the action of changing into that state.)
Girar vs. Ponérse
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