v., n.
to be used to; habit; custom
习惯
to be used to; habit; custom
Habit, custom, or to be accustomed to (习 practice + 惯 get used to); say 好习惯 (good habit) or 习惯了 (got used to it).
Common Usage & Traps
- 养成习惯 — to build / develop a habit
- 习惯早起 — to be used to getting up early
- 生活习惯 — daily habits; lifestyle routine
- 不习惯 — to not be used to something
- 习惯了 — have gotten used to it
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做习惯养成习惯Chinese never pairs 做 with 习惯. A habit is cultivated, so the verb is 养成 — like slowly raising a plant.
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有习惯喝茶有喝茶的习惯The habit itself sits at the end of the phrase, with 的 pinning it to the action. Flipping the order sounds like a broken sentence.
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我习惯咖啡我习惯喝咖啡The verb 习惯 wants an action behind it, not a lonely object noun. Add the verb and it snaps into place.
Is 习惯 the habit you have or the feeling of being used to something — and how can I tell which one I'm reading?
习惯 is both the habit you own and the feeling of being used to something.
Spot the noun when 有...的 sits in front, like 有喝茶的习惯 or 生活习惯. Spot the verb when an action follows it, like 习惯早起 or 不习惯熬夜. Same two characters, two completely different jobs, and the words around them do all the telling.
“很多老北京以前是有去茶馆儿喝茶的习惯的。” (Many old-time Beijingers used to have the habit of going to teahouses for tea.)
“很多老北京以前是有去茶馆儿喝茶的习惯的。” (Many old-time Beijingers used to have the habit of going to teahouses for tea.)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Noun after 有 | 他有喝茶的习惯。 | 他有习惯喝茶。 |
| Verb before an action | 我习惯早起。 | 我习惯咖啡。 |
| Noun with a descriptive word | 这是我的生活习惯。 | 这是我的生活很习惯。 |
How do I say 'I've gotten used to it' without sounding like I'm stating a permanent fact?
习惯了 is your 'I've crossed over' stamp — 不 for the plain negative, 还没 for 'not yet'.
Adding 了 marks the switch: you weren't used to it, and now you are. For the negative, 不习惯 covers a plain state, like 我不习惯这里的天气. Bare 没习惯 without 还 sounds clipped, because 没 wants to say 'not yet' — so say 我还没习惯.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Signaling the switch | 我习惯这边的饮食了。 | 我是习惯这边的饮食。 |
| Plain negative state | 我不习惯这里的天气。 | 我没习惯这里的天气。 |
| 'Not yet' | 我还没习惯这里的天气。 | 我不习惯这里的天气了。 |
| Action first | 我喝咖啡喝习惯了。 | 我习惯喝咖啡惯了。 |
Why does 'form a habit' need 养成 instead of 做?
You never 做 a habit — you 养成 it.
做习惯 is word-for-word English that no native speaker ever says. Habits get 养成 — cultivated over time, the way you'd raise something. Chinese also tucks the action inside the phrase: 养成每天跑步的习惯, not 养成习惯每天跑步.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Forming the habit | 养成早起的习惯 | 做早起的习惯 |
| Where the action goes | 养成每天跑步的习惯 | 养成习惯每天跑步 |
| Talking about it | 我想养成一个好习惯。 | 我想做一个好习惯。 |
Appears in Stories 2 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
Why would a millionaire leave a table of lobster and wagyu untouched? This story explores the hidden rules of business dining and the true cost of staying alert.
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他说，我这些年养成的 习惯 ，饭局上少吃，特别是不碰荤菜，碰了脑子就不清醒。
Ever wondered where old Beijing's tea-drinking culture has gone? Follow a visitor discovering why locals now avoid famous tea houses—and practice expressing surprise and comparisons in Chinese along the way.
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很多老北京以前是有去茶馆儿喝茶的 习惯 的。
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