Learn Spanish (Latin America): Con el tiempo, él se volvió insensible.

Con el tiempo, él se volvió insensible.

Over time, he became insensitive.

Breakdown of Con el tiempo, él se volvió insensible.

to become (involuntary change / personality)

Questions & Answers about Con el tiempo, él se volvió insensible.

Why is se volvió used here instead of se hizo or se puso to mean 'became'?

The verb volverse is used for deep, often permanent changes in someone's personality, character, or fundamental nature, which are usually involuntary. Ponerse would be for a temporary mood or state (like getting sad), and hacerse is typically for voluntary changes that require effort (like becoming a doctor) or natural developments (like getting old). Since becoming emotionally hardened is a profound personality shift, se volvió is the perfect choice.

If I wanted to say he went physically numb, would I still use se volvió insensible?

Probably not. If you mean a physical loss of sensation as a sudden resulting state (like from extreme cold or an injury), you would typically use quedarse, as in él se quedó insensible. Because this sentence describes a gradual change in his character con el tiempo, se volvió is the right fit.

Is con el tiempo the best way to translate 'over time'?

Yes, con el tiempo is the standard, most natural phrase for 'over time' or 'in time' in Spanish. Direct word-for-word translations from English like 'sobre el tiempo' do not work.

Does insensible only mean 'insensitive' in the emotional sense?

It translates literally as 'lacking sensation', so it works for both emotional and physical contexts. In this sentence about a character shift, it means 'insensitive' or 'callous'. If you were talking about your mouth at the dentist, it would mean 'numb'.