Acostumbrar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of acostumbrar — “to be in the habit of” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for acostumbrar with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. 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. Acostumbrar is a regular -ar verb, so the notes below explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To see it in a real sentence: Acostumbro a levantarme temprano.
Present tense conjugation table: acostumbrar
Every person of acostumbrar in the present tense. The gerund is acostumbrando and the past participle is acostumbrado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | acostumbro |
| tú | acostumbras |
| él/ella/Ud. | acostumbra |
| nosotros/as | acostumbramos |
| vosotros/as | acostumbráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acostumbran |
How the present of acostumbrar is formed
The present of acostumbrar is built from the stem acostumbr- plus the present endings for -ar verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | acostumbro |
| tú | -as | acostumbras |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | acostumbra |
| nosotros/as | -amos | acostumbramos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | acostumbráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | acostumbran |
For acostumbrar there are no surprises in the present: every form is the stem acostumbr- plus the regular ending, so once you know the endings you know the whole tense.
When to use the present tense with acostumbrar
Habits and routines
Use the present for things you do regularly.
Yo acostumbro a levantarme temprano. — I am in the habit of getting up early.
General facts
Use the present for facts and general truths that do not change.
Él/Ella acostumbra a comer a las dos. — He is in the habit of eating at two.
What is happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment.
Ahora, Nosotros/as acostumbramos a caminar por la mañana. — Right now, We are in the habit of walking in the morning.
Near-future plans
Use the present for fixed plans in the near future, especially with mañana or la semana que viene.
Mañana, Tú acostumbras a leer antes de dormir. — Tomorrow, You are in the habit of reading before bed.
Instructions and timeless statements
Use the present for instructions, rules and statements that are always true.
Él/Ella acostumbra a levantarme temprano. — He is in the habit of getting up early.
The present vs the preterite
The present and the preterite answer different questions: the present says what happens regularly or right now, while the preterite says what happened once and finished. Compare the same idea in both tenses with acostumbrar.
- Yo acostumbro a levantarme temprano. — I am in the habit of getting up early. / Ayer, Yo acostumbré a levantarme temprano. — Yesterday, I was in the habit of getting up early.
- Yo acostumbro a comer a las dos. — I am in the habit of eating at two. / Ayer, Yo acostumbré a comer a las dos. — Yesterday, I was in the habit of eating at two.
- Yo acostumbro a caminar por la mañana. — I am in the habit of walking in the morning. / Ayer, Yo acostumbré a caminar por la mañana. — Yesterday, I was in the habit of walking in the morning.
Example sentences in the present tense
Seven sentences with acostumbrar in the present tense only, covering all six persons.
- Yo acostumbro a levantarme temprano. — I am in the habit of getting up early.
- Tú acostumbras a comer a las dos. — You are in the habit of eating at two.
- Él/Ella acostumbra a caminar por la mañana. — He is in the habit of walking in the morning.
- Nosotros/as acostumbramos a leer antes de dormir. — We are in the habit of reading before bed.
- Vosotros/as acostumbráis a levantarme temprano. — You are in the habit of getting up early.
- Ellos/as acostumbran a comer a las dos. — They are in the habit of eating at two.
- Yo acostumbro a caminar por la mañana. — I am in the habit of walking in the morning.
Common mistakes
- 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.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo acostumbro a comer a las dos. — Right: Ayer, yo acostumbré a comer a las dos. — With ayer, use the preterite (acostumbré), not the present. The present is for habits and for right now.
- Wrong: Using acostumbrar where soler belongs. — Right: Acostumbrar means to be in the habit of, while soler means to usually do something. — Check the meaning before you choose: acostumbrar fits Acostumbro a levantarme temprano.
- Wrong: Espero que él acostumbra a comer a las dos. — Right: Espero que él acostumbre a comer a las dos. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: acostumbre, not the present indicative acostumbra.
Quiz: the present tense of acostumbrar
Eight questions on the present tense of acostumbrar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a levantarme temprano. (present tense, yo) A. acostumbro B. acostumbras C. acostumbra D. acostumbramos
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ a comer a las dos. (present tense, tú) A. acostumbro B. acostumbra C. acostumbramos D. acostumbras
Complete the sentence: Él/Ella ___ a caminar por la mañana. (present tense, él/ella/Ud.) A. acostumbras B. acostumbramos C. acostumbra D. acostumbro
Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ a leer antes de dormir. (present tense, nosotros/as) A. acostumbra B. acostumbramos C. acostumbro D. acostumbras
Complete the sentence: Vosotros/as ___ a levantarme temprano. (present tense, vosotros/as) A. acostumbráis B. acostumbro C. acostumbras D. acostumbra
Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ a comer a las dos. (present tense, ellos/ellas/Uds.) A. acostumbro B. acostumbras C. acostumbra D. acostumbran
Which is the gerund of acostumbrar? A. acostumbro B. acostumbré C. acostumbrando D. acostumbrado
Which is the past participle of acostumbrar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. acostumbré B. acostumbrado C. acostumbrando D. acostumbro
Answer key
- acostumbro — The yo present form of acostumbrar is acostumbro.
- acostumbras — The tú present form of acostumbrar is acostumbras.
- acostumbra — The él/ella/Ud. present form of acostumbrar is acostumbra.
- acostumbramos — The nosotros/as present form of acostumbrar is acostumbramos.
- acostumbráis — The vosotros/as present form of acostumbrar is acostumbráis.
- acostumbran — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present form of acostumbrar is acostumbran.
- acostumbrando — The gerund of acostumbrar is acostumbrando: estoy acostumbrando.
- acostumbrado — The past participle of acostumbrar is acostumbrado: he acostumbrado, has acostumbrado, ha acostumbrado.
Frequently asked questions
How is the present tense of acostumbrar formed?
Take the infinitive acostumbrar, drop the -ar ending to get the stem acostumbr-, then add the present endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. The full table is above, with every person. No, the present of acostumbrar is fully regular: the stem acostumbr- plus the standard -ar endings gives every form.
When do I use the present tense of acostumbrar?
Use the present for habits, facts and what is happening right now. For example: Acostumbro a levantarme temprano.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of acostumbrar?
The present (acostumbro) and the preterite (acostumbré) answer different questions: the present is for habits and for right now, while the preterite is for one finished action. Compare them in the contrast section above.
How do I practise the present of acostumbrar?
Drill the six forms in the table until you can say them without looking, then use the full conjugation of acostumbrar to see how the present fits with the other tenses, and the acostumbrar examples and quiz page for more sentences. The Spanish Verb Quiz tests the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Acostumbrar conjugation — the full conjugation tables for acostumbrar.
- Acostumbrar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for acostumbrar.
- Spanish present tense guide — when and how to use the present tense.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Present-Tense Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in the present tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.