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costumbre

custom

noun kohs-TOOM-breh Less Common

Also means

habit

Usage Note

Costumbre is feminine despite ending in -e, which trips up learners: la costumbre, una vieja costumbre. The phrase tener la costumbre de + infinitive ('to be in the habit of') is very common. Costumbrismo is the literary and artistic movement depicting local customs and manners.

Examples

"Es costumbre cenar tarde en España."

Natural Translation

It is customary to eat dinner late in Spain.

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