avoir l'habitude de
The French phrase for "used to" (meaning accustomed to) is avoir l'habitude de.
avoir l'habitude de is used to express that someone is accustomed to a specific thing or situation. You may also encounter the phrase avoir coutume de, which means "to have the custom of".
Meaning: accustomed to (adj)
Which one should you use?
Be careful not to confuse avoir l'habitude de (to be accustomed to) with utiliser, which means to use a tool or an object.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can follow avoir l'habitude de with a noun to express being used to a thing or situation. If you follow the phrase with a verb, you must use the infinitive form of that verb to express being used to doing something.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use avoir l'habitude de if you mean the act of using a tool or object. Use utiliser instead.
Did you know?
- The verb avoir in the phrase shares the same Latin root, habēre, as the English word 'aver', which means to declare or assert something as true.
- The French word habitude shares a root with the English word 'habit', but while English often implies a compulsive or bad behavior, habitude focuses more on a neutral state of being accustomed to something.
Examples in context
- Je me levais tôt le matin quand j'étais plus jeune.I used to get up early in the morning when I was younger.
- Ils avaient l'habitude de prendre le bus pour aller au travail.They used to take the bus to go to work.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries avoir, de, CC BY-SA 4.0.
