Learn Hardcore Russian: Мой дом становится большим.

In Russian, when using verbs like становиться (to become) to describe a change in state, the new state is expressed with the predicate adjective in the instrumental case. Here, большим is the instrumental form of большой, indicating that the house is in the process of acquiring the quality of being big.

What does the verb становляется imply in this sentence?

Становляется is the imperfective form of становиться, which means “to become” or “to get.” It emphasizes a gradual change. Therefore, Мой дом становится большим tells us that the house is in the middle of a transformation—it’s not big yet; it’s in the process of becoming big.

How does this sentence differ from simply stating Мой дом большой?

The sentence Мой дом становится большим focuses on the change taking place, implying that the house is gradually getting bigger. In contrast, Мой дом большой is a static description that states the house is already big without suggesting any transformation or ongoing process.

Can this construction be used with other adjectives, and what is the usual pattern?

Yes, this construction is common in Russian. The pattern involves a subject, a linking verb (like становиться), and an adjective in the instrumental case to indicate a change. For example, Он становится умным means “He is becoming smart.” The instrumental case consistently marks the new state that the subject is acquiring.

Is it possible to change the word order in such sentences for emphasis?

Russian word order is quite flexible because the case endings make the roles of words clear. While Мой дом становится большим is the standard and clear structure, you can rearrange the sentence to emphasize different elements. However, regardless of word order, the instrumental case on большим remains necessary to indicate the resulting state after the change.