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costume and Spanish costumbre
In English
costume
a disguise / dress-up outfit
In Spanish
costumbre
hábito
Spanish "costumbre" means: habit / custom
Why they get mixed up Spanish "costumbre" is a habit or cultural tradition that repeats. English "costume" is a disguise or period outfit. Spanish "costumbre" in English is "custom" or "habit."
If you want to say...
- costumedisfraz
- customcostumbre
- habithábito
Examples
His Halloween costume was a pirate.
Su disfraz de Halloween era de pirata.
The actors wore historical costumes.
Los actores llevaban vestuarios históricos.
She spent hours making her Halloween costume.
Pasó horas haciendo su disfraz de Halloween.
The national costume of Scotland includes a kilt.
El traje típico de Escocia incluye un kilt.
Common mistakes in Spanish
Incorrect: Mi costumbre de Halloween es de pirata.
Correct: Mi disfraz de Halloween es de pirata.
Costumbre is a habit or custom, not a costume.
Incorrect: Me puse una costumbre de vampiro.
Correct: Me puse un disfraz de vampiro.
For a costume, use disfraz.
Phrases you will hear
- a Halloween costumeun disfraz de Halloween
- a traditional costumeun traje típico
- a period costumeun traje de época
- a costume partyuna fiesta de disfraces
- a customuna costumbre
- a habitun hábito
In a conversation
- A:
What costume are you wearing?
¿Qué disfraz llevas?
- B:
A pirate costume.
Un disfraz de pirata.
- A:
Is it a custom to dress up here?
¿Aquí es costumbre disfrazarse?
- B:
Yes, it's a Halloween custom.
Sí, es una costumbre de Halloween.
Test yourself
"A scary costume" means...
To remember it
Costume = a disguise/outfit. A habit or tradition (Spanish "costumbre") = habit/custom.
Frequently asked questions
What does Spanish "costumbre" mean?
Spanish "costumbre" means "habit / custom". It looks like the English "costume", which is exactly why it gets confused, but "costume" means "a disguise / dress-up outfit".
Does English "costume" mean the same as Spanish "costumbre"?
Spanish "costumbre" is a habit or cultural tradition that repeats. English "costume" is a disguise or period outfit. Spanish "costumbre" in English is "custom" or "habit."