What is the meaning of the phrase ”男の顔になったな”


The question in the title is just one of the various ones that I don't quite
get. They all use the phrase

> such and such+ 顔になった + sentence ending particles

Literally it sounds weird to me but the general idea I get from the phrase is
that it can used to comment on someone's growth e.g. 男の顔になったな could be what
something a father says to his son when he's seen that he has grown up.
Anyway, anyone care to explain this?

Thanks.




「[男]{おとこ}の[顔]{かお}になったな。」 could mean **two very different things**.

**1. "You/Someone now look(s) like a full-fledged adult."**

This is the meaning for which the phrase would be used more often than the
other I shall explain below. It is a well-intended compliment and the speaker
has been waiting for this to happen -- most likely for years.

Even though the word 「顔」 is used, it does not mean that only the person's face
has changed. It includes how he acts, speaks, etc. It is talking about his
whole person that has grown to reach the level where he could be called an
adult.

One thing that I feel is important to mention as a Japanese-speaker is that
unlike what you said in your question, this phrase is not really something a
father would say to his son. It would be more like what an uncle would say to
his nephew, a male family friend to the son of that family, etc. There might
be exceptions where a father might say it to his son, but it would be rare in
Japanese culture if not in yours.

**2. "You/Someone now look(s) like a hungry wolf."**

This implies that even though someone was looking like a nice
husband/father/whatever-his-profession-is only 30 minutes ago, but now that he
is out on the street at night only after one thing. "Two faces of a man" is
what one is talking about.




## 男の顔になったな

It's like saying

> 成長{せいちょう}したな〜

  * _Boy, you've come a long way._
  * _Boy, how you've grown!_

So, you are right, it's a comment on someone's growth.

It's relevant from the point of view of an adult looking at a young boy's
growth over a period of time. I guess a father could say that to his son, but
I imagine something more along the lines of a company president / boss saying
that to a junior employee that has flourished / made noteworthy progress in
the company.

Rather awkward longer version:

> 少年{しょうねん}の顔{かお}から成熟{せいじゅく}した大人{おとな}の男{おとこ}の顔{かお}になった。

  * You went from a young boy's face to a mature adult's face!

### Other Patterns

> 仕事{しごと}の顔{かお}になった。

To become serious when one is going to start working.

> 少女{しょうじょ}の顔{かお}になった。

Like a girl who has finished work and meets her boyfriend and then switches to
_"cute"_ mode.

