Profound changes
When a person, place, or situation undergoes a radical or permanent change, Spanish uses the reflexive verb transformarse en (to transform into). It requires a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, se) and is always followed by the preposition en and a noun.
| Ten years ago, the town transformed into an industrial center. | Hace diez años, el pueblo se transformó en un centro industrial. |
Because this verb describes fundamental shifts, it is perfect for dramatic changes, like turning into una pesadilla (a nightmare).
| However, the industrial zone transformed into a nightmare. | Sin embargo, la zona industrial se transformó en una pesadilla. |
Turning into something new
The verb convertirse en (to turn into / to become) works exactly the same way. It is also reflexive and must be followed by en + a noun phrase to describe major evolutions over time.
| This neighborhood turned into a residential zone. | Este barrio se convirtió en una zona residencial. |
| A month ago, the old store turned into a shopping center. | Hace un mes, la tienda vieja se convirtió en un centro comercial. |
Unrecognizable results
These verbs often pair with strong nouns like el paraíso (paradise) and el infierno (hell). If you want to use a descriptive adjective like irreconocible (unrecognizable), it must modify a noun (like un lugar) to complete the phrase after the preposition en.
| The old park changed a lot and turned into an unrecognizable place. | El parque viejo cambió mucho y se convirtió en un lugar irreconocible. |
| The garden of my house turned into a paradise. | El jardín de mi casa se convirtió en un paraíso. |
| The trip turned into hell because it rained a lot. | El viaje se convirtió en un infierno porque llovió mucho. |