Log inSign up

Mucha gente cree que se volvió loco y paranoico.

Mucha gente cree que se volvió loco y paranoico.
A lot of people believe that he became crazy and paranoid.
From Lesson 217:Verbs of change (hacerse, volverse)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Mucha gente cree que se volvió loco y paranoico.

Why use se volvió instead of se hizo for 'he became' here?
In Spanish, volverse is used for profound, involuntary changes in someone's personality, mental state, or character—like going crazy (loco) or paranoid (paranoico). You would use hacerse when the change involves deliberate effort or personal evolution, such as becoming a doctor or getting rich.
Could we use se puso instead of se volvió in this sentence?
Not quite. Ponerse is generally used for temporary, passing changes in mood or physical appearance (like becoming sad, nervous, or turning red). Because becoming crazy and paranoid implies a deep, lasting psychological transformation, volverse is the correct choice.
Why is the verb cree in the singular when 'a lot of people' means more than one person?
In Spanish, the word for people (la gente) is a collective noun that is always grammatically singular and feminine. Because of this, it must take the singular adjective mucha and the singular verb cree.
Why does cree que trigger the indicative (se volvió) instead of the subjunctive?
When you use verbs expressing belief or thought in the affirmative, like creer (to believe) or pensar (to think), they state what someone considers to be a fact, so they take the normal indicative mood. You usually only use the subjunctive if you are denying the belief, such as no cree que (does not believe that).

Learn Mucha gente cree que se volvió loco y paranoico and more in Spanish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Spanish →