Acostumbrar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

acostumbrar means “to be in the habit of” in English, and this page shows you how it actually sounds in everyday Spanish — not just the conjugation table, but the verb in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make with it. Acostumbrar means to be in the habit of, and it describes a regular custom: you are in the habit of getting up early, of eating at two, of walking in the morning. It takes a before an infinitive, as in acostumbro a levantarme temprano, and it is common in routines and in descriptions of a way of life. Below you will find twelve example sentences grouped by tense, two short dialogues, the most common mistakes with corrections, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. If you want the full tables first, start with the full conjugation of acostumbrar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the acostumbrar present tense page.

acostumbrar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present

Four sentences with acostumbrar in the present tense, for habits, facts and things happening right now.

  1. Yo acostumbro a levantarme temprano. — I am in the habit of getting up early.
  2. Él/Ella acostumbra a comer a las dos. — He is in the habit of eating at two.
  3. Nosotros/as acostumbramos a caminar por la mañana. — We are in the habit of walking in the morning.
  4. Ellos/as acostumbran a leer antes de dormir. — They are in the habit of reading before bed.

In the past

Four sentences with acostumbrar in the past: the preterite for finished actions and the imperfect for habits and background.

  1. Ayer, Yo acostumbré a caminar por la mañana. — Yesterday, I was in the habit of walking in the morning.
  2. Antes, Nosotros/as acostumbrábamos a leer antes de dormir. — Before, We used to be in the habit of reading before bed.
  3. Ayer, Él/Ella acostumbró a levantarme temprano. — Yesterday, He was in the habit of getting up early.
  4. De niños, Ellos/as acostumbraban a comer a las dos. — As children, They used to be in the habit of eating at two.

Plans, hopes and wishes

Four sentences with acostumbrar in the future, the conditional, the subjunctive and the present perfect — for plans, hypotheticals and things that have just happened.

  1. Mañana, Tú acostumbrarás a levantarme temprano. — Tomorrow, You will be in the habit of getting up early.
  2. Yo acostumbraría a comer a las dos. — I would be in the habit of eating at two.
  3. Espero que él acostumbre a caminar por la mañana. — I hope he is in the habit of walking in the morning.
  4. Él/Ella ha acostumbrado a leer antes de dormir. — He has been in the habit of reading before bed.

acostumbrar in context: two short dialogues

Making plans

Ana: ¿Tú acostumbras a levantarme temprano mañana? — Are you going to be in the habit of getting up early tomorrow? Luis: Sí, yo acostumbro a levantarme temprano todos los días. — Yes, I am in the habit of getting up early every day. Ana: ¿Y mañana acostumbrarás a comer a las dos? — And tomorrow, will you be in the habit of eating at two? Luis: Claro, mañana acostumbraré a comer a las dos sin falta. — Of course, tomorrow I will be in the habit of eating at two without fail. Ana: Perfecto. Yo acostumbraré a caminar por la mañana también. — Perfect. I will be in the habit of walking in the morning too. Luis: Entonces quedamos mañana. ¡Hasta luego! — Then see you tomorrow. Bye!

Yesterday

Ana: ¿Qué hiciste ayer? — What did you do yesterday? Luis: Ayer acostumbré a caminar por la mañana. — Yesterday, I was in the habit of walking in the morning. Ana: ¿Y antes acostumbrabas a leer antes de dormir? — And before, did you use to be in the habit of reading before bed? Luis: Sí, antes acostumbraba a leer antes de dormir todos los días. — Yes, before, I used to be in the habit of reading before bed every day. Ana: ¿Y tus hermanos acostumbraron a levantarme temprano? — And did your brothers was in the habit of getting up early? Luis: Sí, ellos acostumbraron a levantarme temprano por la tarde. — Yes, they was in the habit of getting up early in the afternoon.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo acostumbra a levantarme temprano. — Right: Yo acostumbro a levantarme temprano. — The person matters: acostumbra is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is acostumbro. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Treating acostumbrar and soler as identical in every context. — Right: Acostumbrar means to be in the habit of, while soler means to usually do something. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: acostumbrar fits sentences such as Acostumbro a levantarme temprano, while soler belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  3. Wrong: Yo soy acostumbrado a comer a las dos. — Right: Yo he acostumbrado a comer a las dos. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he acostumbrado, has acostumbrado, ha acostumbrado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo acostumbré a caminar por la mañana todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo acostumbraba a caminar por la mañana todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (acostumbraba), not the preterite. The preterite (acostumbré) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on acostumbrar in use. Choose the right answer, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ a leer antes de dormir. (present tense) A. acostumbran B. acostumbro C. acostumbras D. acostumbra

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, Nosotros/as ___ a levantarme temprano. (preterite tense) A. acostumbré B. acostumbraste C. acostumbró D. acostumbramos

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, Tú ___ a comer a las dos. (imperfect tense) A. acostumbrábamos B. acostumbrabais C. acostumbrabas D. acostumbraba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, Él/Ella ___ a caminar por la mañana. (future tense) A. acostumbraremos B. acostumbrará C. acostumbraré D. acostumbrarás

  5. Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ a leer antes de dormir. (conditional tense) A. acostumbraríamos B. acostumbraría C. acostumbrarías D. acostumbraríais

  6. Complete the sentence: Hoy, Yo ___ a levantarme temprano. (present-perfect tense) A. has acostumbrado B. ha acostumbrado C. hemos acostumbrado D. he acostumbrado

  7. What does acostumbrar mean in English? A. to disturb B. to address as tú C. to be in the habit of D. to usually do something

  8. Which of these sentences is WRONG? A. Ayer, Yo acostumbré a caminar por la mañana. B. Yo acostumbra a levantarme temprano. C. Yo acostumbro a levantarme temprano. D. Él/Ella acostumbra a comer a las dos.

  9. Which is the gerund of acostumbrar, used with estar for the progressive? A. acostumbrando B. acostumbrado C. acostumbro D. acostumbré

  10. Which is the past participle of acostumbrar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. acostumbrando B. acostumbro C. acostumbré D. acostumbrado

Answer key

  1. acostumbran — The correct form here is acostumbran.
  2. acostumbramos — The correct form here is acostumbramos.
  3. acostumbrabas — The correct form here is acostumbrabas.
  4. acostumbrará — The correct form here is acostumbrará.
  5. acostumbraríamos — The correct form here is acostumbraríamos.
  6. he acostumbrado — The correct form here is he acostumbrado.
  7. to be in the habit of — Acostumbrar means to be in the habit of. Soler means to usually do something, which is a different verb.
  8. Yo acostumbra a levantarme temprano. — The first sentence is wrong: the correct form is Yo acostumbro a levantarme temprano.. The person matters: acostumbra is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is acostumbro. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  9. acostumbrando — The gerund of acostumbrar is acostumbrando: estoy acostumbrando.
  10. acostumbrado — The past participle of acostumbrar is acostumbrado: he acostumbrado, has acostumbrado, ha acostumbrado.

Frequently asked questions

What does acostumbrar mean?

Acostumbrar means to be in the habit of. Acostumbrar means to be in the habit of, and it describes a regular custom: you are in the habit of getting up early, of eating at two, of walking in the morning. It takes a before an infinitive, as in acostumbro a levantarme temprano, and it is common in routines and in descriptions of a way of life.

When do people use acostumbrar most?

People use acostumbrar most in everyday situations such as Yo acostumbro a levantarme temprano. and Ayer, Yo acostumbré a caminar por la mañana.. Learn the present tense first, then the preterite and the imperfect, since those are the forms you will hear most often.

What is the difference between acostumbrar and soler?

Acostumbrar means to be in the habit of, while soler means to usually do something. They appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable — check the meaning you want before you choose.

How can I remember the forms of acostumbrar?

Practise the present tense table first, then add the preterite and the imperfect. Use the full conjugation of acostumbrar as your reference, the acostumbrar present tense page for one tense in depth, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself.

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