# used to



## Muwahid

How can I convey this meaning of something I did in the past and do no longer? Like "I used to visit him everyday"


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## Egyptlover

I used to = كنتُ معتاداً أن


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## Idris

Egyptlover said:


> I used to = كنتُ معتاداً أن


 
Is معتاداً أن really necessary? Why not simply كنت أزوره كل يوم ?


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## Huda

I agree with Idris. We simply translate it into: كنت أزوره كل يوم


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## Egyptlover

Yes, I agree with both of you; it's simpler and gives the same meaning


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## Muwahid

Ah, can't believe I forgot that I was expecting it to be more complex!


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## elroy

Egyptlover said:


> Yes, I agree with both of you; it's simpler and gives the same meaning


 كنت معتادًا expresses the right meaning here, because of the "every day," but in general, it is not a good translation of "I used to."  I think some people get confused because of its similarity to "I am used to...", which _does_ refer to being accustomed to something.  "I used to..." just means "it was at some point the case that I did...", but it doesn't have to refer to a habit or something regular.  You could say, for example, "I used to think his name was Jack" or "He used to walk his dog and mow the lawn" (but maybe he only did so sporadically and not regularly or habitually).


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## Egyptlover

Many thanks for the clarification, elroy


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## clevermizo

Yes, I agree with elroy. If however, I said "I *was used* to him coming every day to see me, so I was surprised that he didn't come yesterday" then I would say: كنت معتادًا أن يأتي كل يوم ليرني، فتفجأت أمس عندما لم يأت." That's different from "I *used to *(do X)" which means just that something happened regularly in the past (كنت أفعل كذا وكذا في الماضي).


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## Huda

clevermizo said:


> Yes, I agree with elroy. If however, I said "I *was used* to him coming every day to see me, so I was surprised that he didn't come yesterday" then I would say: كنت معتادًا أن يأتي كل يوم ليرني، فتفجأت أمس عندما لم يأت." That's different from "I *used to *(do X)" which means just that something happened regularly in the past (كنت أفعل كذا وكذا في الماضي).


 
I believe it is better to say: فاندهشت أمس عندما لم يأت


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## Idris

clevermizo said:


> كنت معتادًا أن يأتي كل يوم ليرني، فتفجأت أمس عندما لم يأت.


 
For a sentence like this, is it not better to say كان معتادًا أن يأتي instead of كنت معتادًا أن يأتي ?


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## clevermizo

Idris said:


> For a sentence like this, is it not better to say كان معتادًا أن يأتيinstead of كنت معتادًا أن يأتي ?



No, because I'm saying (or trying to say) "*I was* used to *him coming*."


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## cherine

I'd like to add that we can also use the verb اعتاد instead of the structure كان معتادًا .


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## Ibn Nacer

Idris said:


> For a sentence like this, is it not better to say كان معتادًا أن يأتي instead of كنت معتادًا أن يأتي ?





clevermizo said:


> No, because I'm saying (or trying to say) "*I was* used to *him coming*."


Hello,

Does this phrase (كان معتادًا أن يأتي)  means "*he was* used to *him  coming*."           ?

***********
Question  for those who know French:

1) I want to be sure I understand this sentence "I *was used* to him coming every day to see me, so I was surprised that he didn't come yesterday" ( كنت معتادًا أن يأتي كل يوم ليرني، فتفجأت أمس عندما لم يأت.)

This French translation : "J'étais habitué* à ce qu'il vienne me voir tous les jours, j'ai donc était surpris qu'il ne soit pas venu hier ", is it correct?

2) What is the difference  between "I was used..." and "I used to..." ?

* Or : "J'avais l'habitude qu'il vienne...".



cherine said:


> I'd like to add that we can also use the verb  اعتاد instead of the structure كان معتادًا .



Le verbe اعتاد signifie "s'habituer", c'est bien ça ? Donc مُعْتاد  signifierait "être habitué" ou "habitué" ?

    Qu'est-ce que c'est مُعْتاد  ? Un adjectif (*صـــــفـــــــة*) ou *اسم المفعول* ?


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## elroy

Ibn Nacer said:


> Does this phrase (كان معتادًا أن يأتي) means "*he was* used to *him coming*." ?


 It could be that or "he was used to coming." It's not clear without further context who يأتي refers to. 





> 1) I want to be sure I understand this sentence "I *was used* to him coming every day to see me, so I was surprised that he didn't come yesterday" ( كنت معتادًا أن يأتي كل يوم ليرني، فتفجأت أمس عندما لم يأت.)
> 
> This French translation : "J'étais habitué* à ce qu'il vienne me voir tous les jours, j'ai donc était surpris qu'il ne soit pas venu hier ", is it correct?


 Yes. 





> 2) What is the difference between "I was used..." and "I used to..." ?


I was used to doing something: J'étais habitué à faire quelque chose. / J'avais l'habitude de faire quelque chose.

I used to do something: Je faisais quelque chose (sans qu'il s'agisse nécessairement d'une habitude)


> Le verbe اعتاد signifie "s'habituer", c'est bien ça ? Donc مُعْتاد signifierait "être habitué" ou "habitué" ?


 Oui. 





> Qu'est-ce que c'est مُعْتاد ? Un adjectif (*صـــــفـــــــة*) ou *اسم المفعول* ?


 C'est un اسم فاعل, mais ça pourrait être un adjectif aussi; ça dépend de la frase (et du contexte).


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## Ibn Nacer

Hello,

Elroy, thank you very much.


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## Ibn Nacer

Ibn Nacer said:


> Hello,
> 
> Does this phrase (كان معتادًا أن يأتي)  means "*he was* used to *him  coming*."           ?
> 
> ***********
> Question  for those who know French:
> 
> 1) I want to be sure I understand this sentence "I *was used* to him coming every day to see me, so I was surprised that he didn't come yesterday" ( كنت معتادًا أن يأتي كل يوم ليرني، فتفجأت أمس عندما لم يأت.)
> 
> This French translation : "J'étais habitué* à ce qu'il vienne me voir tous les jours, j'ai donc *était* surpris qu'il ne soit pas venu hier ", is it correct?
> 
> 2) What is the difference  between "I was used..." and "I used to..." ?
> 
> * Or : "J'avais l'habitude qu'il vienne...".
> 
> 
> 
> Le verbe اعتاد signifie "s'habituer", c'est bien ça ? Donc مُعْتاد  signifierait "être habitué" ou "habitué" ?
> 
> Qu'est-ce que c'est مُعْتاد  ? Un adjectif (*صـــــفـــــــة*) ou *اسم المفعول* ?





Ibn Nacer said:


> This French translation : "J'étais habitué* à ce qu'il vienne me voir tous les jours, j'ai donc *était* surpris qu'il ne soit pas venu hier ", is it correct?



Je suis désolé, j'ai fait une faute grave de grammaire, je corrige :

This French translation : "J'étais habitué* à ce qu'il vienne me voir tous les jours, j'ai donc *été* surpris qu'il ne soit pas venu hier ", is it correct?


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