acostumbré

Acostumbré is the first-person singular preterite form of the Spanish verb acostumbrar, which means to accustom or to cause someone to become used to something, or more broadly to form a habit. The verb is transitive and often used with a and an infinitive, as in acostumbrar a alguien a hacer algo. The reflexive counterpart is acostumbrarse, meaning to become accustomed to something. The related noun costumbre means habit or custom.

Etymology and related forms: acostumbrar comes from costumbre, the noun for habit or custom, which in turn derives from Latin consuetudo. The preterite form acostumbé indicates a completed action in the past, while other tenses exist for ongoing or future processes (acostumbro, acostumbra, me acostumbro, me acostumbré, etc.).

Usage and examples: Acostumbré is used to describe the act of causing someone to adopt a habit or to indicate that one person became accustomed to something. Examples: “Ayer acostumbré a mi hermano a levantarse temprano.” “Con el tiempo me acostumbré a comer verduras.” The reflexive form is common for expressing that the subject itself becomes accustomed to something: “Me acostumbro a levantarme temprano” or “Me acostumbré a la nueva rutina.”

Notes: Acostumbrar and acostumbarse should not be confused with acostar, which means to lay down or put to bed. In regional usage, the forms and nuances remain consistent, with variation mainly in the choice of tense to express completed actions versus ongoing adaptation.

See also: costumbre, acostumbrarse, acostumbrar a alguien a algo.