Acostumbrarse Examples, Sentences and Quiz
Acostumbrarse means “to get used to”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Acostumbrarse means to get used to something, and it is the verb for adapting to a new schedule, a new climate, a new job or a new country. It is always used with a, as in acostumbrarse a madrugar, and it describes a slow change in what feels normal. This page shows acostumbrarse in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Yo me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco.” — I get used to to the new timetable little by little.
Acostumbrarse in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how acostumbrarse is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use acostumbrarse in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco.” — I get used to to the new timetable little by little.
“¿Tú te acostumbras al frío del invierno?” — Do you get used to to the cold of winter?
“Se acostumbra a madrugar sin falta.” — He/she gets used to to getting up early without fail.
“Nos acostumbramos a la comida del país.” — We get used to to the food of the country.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show acostumbrarse in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo me acostumbré al horario nuevo poco a poco.” — Yesterday, I got used to to the new timetable little by little. (preterite)
“Él se acostumbraba al frío del invierno todos los días.” — He used to get used to to the cold of winter every day. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of acostumbrarse stays the same.
“Nosotros nos acostumbraremos a madrugar sin falta mañana.” — We will get used to to getting up early without fail tomorrow. (future)
“¿Te has acostumbrado a la comida del país?” — Have you got used to to the food of the country? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Os acostumbráis al horario nuevo poco a poco.” — You get used to to the new timetable little by little.
“Se acostumbran al frío del invierno.” — They get used to to the cold of winter.
“Me acostumbro a madrugar sin falta.” — I get used to to getting up early without fail.
“Se acostumbra a la comida del país.” — He/she gets used to to the food of the country.
Acostumbrarse in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how acostumbrarse appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Lucía: “¿Tú te acostumbras al horario nuevo poco a poco?” — Do you get used to to the new timetable little by little?
Carlos: “Sí, yo me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco.” — Yes, I get used to to the new timetable little by little.
Lucía: “Nosotros nos acostumbramos al frío del invierno.” — We get used to to the cold of winter.
Carlos: “Y ellos se acostumbran a madrugar sin falta.” — And they get used to to getting up early without fail.
Lucía: “Vosotros os acostumbráis a la comida del país.” — You get used to to the food of the country.
Carlos: “Sí, y él se acostumbra al frío del invierno.” — Yes, and he gets used to to the cold of winter.
A short paragraph
Lucía se acostumbra al horario nuevo poco a poco, y Carlos se acostumbra al frío del invierno. Nosotros nos acostumbramos a madrugar sin falta, y ellos se acostumbran a la comida del país. Yo me acostumbro a madrugar sin falta, y mi padre se acostumbra a la comida del país. Acostumbrarse is part of everyday life, because to get used to is something Spanish speakers do again and again, in every tense and every situation.
Common mistakes with acostumbrarse
These are the errors learners actually make with acostumbrarse. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco.” Right: “Yo me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco.” Why: Acostumbrarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
Wrong: “Ayer yo acostumbro al frío del invierno.” Right: “Ayer yo acostumbré al frío del invierno.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: acostumbro is happening now, while acostumbré is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating acostumbrarse and adaptarse as identical in every context.” Right: “Acostumbrarse means to get used to, while adaptarse means to adapt.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: acostumbrarse fits sentences such as Me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco, while adaptarse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy acostumbrado al frío del invierno.” Right: “Yo he acostumbrado al frío del invierno.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he acostumbrado, has acostumbrado, ha acostumbrado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo acostumbré a madrugar sin falta todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo acostumbraba a madrugar sin falta todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (acostumbraba), not the preterite. The preterite (acostumbré) is for one finished action.
Quiz: acostumbrarse in use
Ten questions on acostumbrarse in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ al horario nuevo poco a poco.” (To the new timetable little by little.)
- (a) os acostumbráis
- (b) me acostumbro
- (c) te acostumbras
Answer: os acostumbráis — The vosotros/as form of acostumbrarse in the present is os acostumbráis.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ al frío del invierno.” (To the cold of winter.)
- (a) me acostumbro
- (b) te acostumbras
- (c) se acostumbran
Answer: se acostumbran — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of acostumbrarse in the present is se acostumbran.
3. Complete the sentence: “Yo ______ al horario nuevo poco a poco.” (To the new timetable little by little.)
- (a) se acostumbró
- (b) me acostumbré
- (c) te acostumbraste
Answer: me acostumbré — The yo form of acostumbrarse in the preterite is me acostumbré.
4. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ al frío del invierno.” (To the cold of winter.)
- (a) se acostumbraba
- (b) me acostumbraba
- (c) te acostumbrabas
Answer: se acostumbraba — The él/ella/Ud. form of acostumbrarse in the imperfect is se acostumbraba.
5. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ a madrugar sin falta.” (To getting up early without fail.)
- (a) me acostumbraré
- (b) te acostumbrarás
- (c) nos acostumbraremos
Answer: nos acostumbraremos — The nosotros/as form of acostumbrarse in the future is nos acostumbraremos.
6. What does acostumbrarse mean in English?
- (a) to become familiar with
- (b) to get used to
- (c) to adapt
Answer: to get used to — Acostumbrarse means “to get used to”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco.
- (b) Ellos acostumbra al horario nuevo poco a poco.
- (c) Yo me acostumbro al frío del invierno ayer.
Answer: Yo me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco. — “Yo me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I get used to to the new timetable little by little.” in Spanish?
- (a) Yo se acostumbran al horario nuevo poco a poco.
- (b) Yo me acostumbré al horario nuevo poco a poco.
- (c) Yo me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco.
Answer: Yo me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco. — “Yo me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco.” is the correct translation. The second option uses the wrong person's form, and the third uses the preterite.
9. What is the nosotros form of acostumbrarse in the present tense?
- (a) te acostumbras
- (b) nos acostumbramos
- (c) me acostumbro
Answer: nos acostumbramos — The nosotros form is nos acostumbramos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Ayer, yo me acostumbré al horario nuevo poco a poco.
- (b) Nosotros nos acostumbraremos al horario nuevo poco a poco mañana.
- (c) Yo me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco.
Answer: Yo me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco. — “Yo me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I get used to' in Spanish?
Say 'Yo me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco'. The complement follows directly, as in the examples above. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Yo me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco todos los días'.
How do you say 'I get used to' in the past?
For one finished action, say 'Ayer, yo me acostumbré al frío del invierno'. For a repeated habit, say 'Yo me acostumbraba al frío del invierno todos los días'. For something already done, say 'Yo me he acostumbrado al frío del invierno'.
What is the difference between acostumbrarse and adaptarse?
Acostumbrarse means to get used to, while adaptarse means to adapt. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use acostumbrarse when you mean to get used to, as in Me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of acostumbrarse — every tense of acostumbrarse in one place.
- Acostumbrarse in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on acostumbrarse and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of acostumbrarse until they are automatic.