Acostumbrarse in the Present Tense

Acostumbrarse means “to get used to”, and this page covers exactly one thing: acostumbrarse in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about routines, facts and what is happening now. On this page you will find the full present table for acostumbrarse, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about acostumbrarse in the present. For example: “Yo me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco.” — I get used to to the new timetable little by little. Everything on this page uses the forms of acostumbrarse exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Acostumbrarse in the Present Tense — full table

Person Pronoun Form
yo me acostumbro
tú te acostumbras
él/ella/Ud. se acostumbra
nosotros/as nos acostumbramos
vosotros/as os acostumbráis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se acostumbran

Gerund: acostumbrando · Past participle: acostumbrado

The gerund is acostumbrando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy acostumbrando” means the action of acostumbrarse is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is acostumbrado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he acostumbrado” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how acostumbrarse is used.

How the present of acostumbrarse is formed

Acostumbrarse is regular in the present tense. Take the stem acostumbr and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving acostumbro, acostumbras, acostumbra, acostumbramos, acostumbráis, acostumbran. Watch the accents: the yo form is acostumbro and the él/ella/Ud. form is acostumbra. Because acostumbrarse is reflexive, put the pronoun before each form: me acostumbro, te acostumbras, se acostumbra, nos acostumbramos, os acostumbráis, se acostumbran.

When to use the present of acostumbrarse

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use acostumbrarse in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Routines and habits

The present tense is the tense of what you do regularly. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the right choice, and acostumbrarse is no exception. Example: “Yo me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco todos los días.” — I get used to to the new timetable little by little every day.

2. Facts and general truths

The present states facts that are true in general, not just right now. Use it to say what acostumbrarse means in practice and how it works in the world. Example: “Se acostumbra al frío del invierno.” — He/she gets used to to the cold of winter.

3. What is happening right now

The present also describes actions in progress at this very moment. When something is happening as you speak, the present tense says so directly. Example: “Yo me acostumbro a madrugar sin falta ahora.” — I get used to to getting up early without fail now.

4. Scheduled events in the near future

Spanish often uses the present for things that are already arranged, such as plans for tomorrow or next week. The present sounds more certain than the future in these cases. Example: “Nosotros nos acostumbramos a la comida del país.” — We get used to to the food of the country.

5. Instructions and everyday speech

In everyday speech the present gives instructions, makes offers and states what someone does. It is the tense you will hear most often in conversation. Example: “Tú te acostumbras al horario nuevo poco a poco.” — You get used to to the new timetable little by little.

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and choosing between them is one of the first decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the present describes routines, facts and what is happening now, while the preterite reports one finished action. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is a habit or a finished event. Time words help: todos los días and cada semana point to the present, while ayer and la semana pasada point to the preterite.

  • Present Tense: “Yo me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco todos los días.” — I get used to to the new timetable little by little every day.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, yo me acostumbré al horario nuevo poco a poco.” — Yesterday, I got used to to the new timetable little by little.

  • The present sentence describes a habit; the preterite sentence reports one finished action. Todos los días points to the present, ayer points to the preterite.

  • Present Tense: “Él se acostumbra al frío del invierno cada semana.” — He/she gets used to to the cold of winter every week.

  • Preterite: “La semana pasada, él se acostumbró al frío del invierno.” — Last week, he got used to to the cold of winter.

  • Cada semana describes a routine, so the present is right; la semana pasada names one finished week, so the preterite is right.

  • Present Tense: “Nosotros nos acostumbramos a madrugar sin falta a menudo.” — We get used to to getting up early without fail often.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, nosotros nos acostumbramos a madrugar sin falta.” — Yesterday, we got used to to getting up early without fail.

  • The present sentence counts no single event; the preterite sentence counts one finished action. That difference — habit versus finished event — is the whole decision.

Example sentences: acostumbrarse in the present

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco.” — I get used to to the new timetable little by little.

  2. “Te acostumbras al frío del invierno.” — You get used to to the cold of winter.

  3. “Se acostumbra a madrugar sin falta.” — He/she gets used to to getting up early without fail.

  4. “Nos acostumbramos a la comida del país.” — We get used to to the food of the country.

  5. “Os acostumbráis al horario nuevo poco a poco.” — You get used to to the new timetable little by little.

  6. “Se acostumbran al frío del invierno.” — They get used to to the cold of winter.

  7. “Me acostumbro a madrugar sin falta.” — I get used to to getting up early without fail.

  8. “Se acostumbra a la comida del país.” — He/she gets used to to the food of the country.

Common mistakes with acostumbrarse in the present

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. 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 before every form. Without it the sentence is incomplete.

  • Wrong: “Yo acostumbro al frío del invierno ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo acostumbré al frío del invierno.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to acostumbré.

  • Wrong: “Nosotros acostumbras a madrugar sin falta.” Right: “Nosotros nos acostumbramos a madrugar sin falta.” Why: Nosotros needs nos acostumbramos. The tú form acostumbras belongs with tú.

  • Wrong: “Ellos acostumbro a la comida del país todos los días.” Right: “Ellos se acostumbran a la comida del país todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form se acostumbran, not the yo form acostumbro. This is the most common agreement slip in the present tense, and it happens because learners memorise the yo form first and then reuse it for every person.

Quiz: acostumbrarse in the present

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ______ al horario nuevo poco a poco.” (To the new timetable little by little.)

  • (a) me acostumbro
  • (b) te acostumbras
  • (c) se acostumbra

Answer: me acostumbro — The yo form of acostumbrarse in the present is me acostumbro. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ al frío del invierno?” (To the cold of winter.)

  • (a) me acostumbro
  • (b) se acostumbra
  • (c) te acostumbras

Answer: te acostumbras — The tú form of acostumbrarse in the present is te acostumbras. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

3. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ a madrugar sin falta.” (To getting up early without fail.)

  • (a) te acostumbras
  • (b) se acostumbra
  • (c) me acostumbro

Answer: se acostumbra — The él/ella/Ud. form of acostumbrarse in the present is se acostumbra. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ a la comida del país.” (To the food of the country.)

  • (a) nos acostumbramos
  • (b) me acostumbro
  • (c) te acostumbras

Answer: nos acostumbramos — The nosotros/as form of acostumbrarse in the present is nos acostumbramos. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

5. What is the vosotros/as form of acostumbrarse in the present?

  • (a) me acostumbro
  • (b) te acostumbras
  • (c) os acostumbráis

Answer: os acostumbráis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes os acostumbráis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros os acostumbráis al horario nuevo poco a poco.” to fix it in your memory.

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ al frío del invierno.” (To the cold of winter.)

  • (a) te acostumbras
  • (b) se acostumbran
  • (c) me acostumbro

Answer: se acostumbran — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of acostumbrarse in the present is se acostumbran. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

7. Which is the correct yo form of acostumbrarse in the present?

  • (a) me acostumbro
  • (b) te acostumbras
  • (c) se acostumbra

Answer: me acostumbro — The yo form is me acostumbro. The other two options are the forms for other persons.

8. Which sentence describes a habit in the present?

  • (a) Yo me acostumbré al horario nuevo poco a poco todos los días.
  • (b) Nosotros nos acostumbraremos al horario nuevo poco a poco mañana.
  • (c) Yo me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco todos los días.

Answer: Yo me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco todos los días. — “Yo me acostumbro al horario nuevo poco a poco todos los días.” describes a habit, so it takes the present. The second option reports a finished action in the past, and the third looks to the future.

Frequently asked questions

Is acostumbrarse regular in the present?

Yes. Acostumbrarse is regular in the present: acostumbro, acostumbras, acostumbra, acostumbramos, acostumbráis, acostumbran. Watch the accents on the yo and él forms, and remember that only context tells the nosotros form apart from the present-tense nosotros form when they are identical.

What is the past participle of acostumbrarse?

The past participle is acostumbrado: 'He acostumbrado' means 'I have got used to'. It is used with haber in every perfect tense. The gerund is acostumbrando.

Does acostumbrarse take a preposition?

It depends on the meaning. Acostumbrarse always takes a: me acostumbro a madrugar. The infinitive after a never changes its form. In the examples on this page, acostumbrarse appears with complements such as al horario nuevo poco a poco and al frío del invierno, so copy those patterns when you write your own sentences.

How do I remember the present forms of acostumbrarse?

Say the six forms out loud in order, three times, with a real sentence for each one: yo me acostumbro, tú te acostumbras, él/ella/Ud. se acostumbra, nosotros/as nos acostumbramos, vosotros/as os acostumbráis, ellos/ellas/Uds. se acostumbran. Then write three of your own sentences with acostumbrarse in the present, using the examples on this page as models.

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