habit
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habit
An action or behavior that becomes routine through frequent repetition and often happens unconsciously.
Er hat die schlechte Gewohnheit, beim Reden ständig mit dem Stift zu klicken.
He has the bad habit of constantly clicking his pen while talking.
The word 'Gewohnheit' (habit) is closely related to the verb 'sich an etwas gewöhnen' (to get used to something). So a habit is something you have become so used to that it happens automatically.
Es dauert eine Weile, sich an das neue Betriebssystem zu gewöhnen.
It takes a while to get used to the new operating system.
Common verbs are 'eine Gewohnheit haben' (to have a habit), 'eine Gewohnheit annehmen' (to adopt a habit), or 'eine Gewohnheit ablegen/aufgeben' (to drop/give up a habit). Things can also 'zur Gewohnheit werden' (become a habit).
Ich möchte meine schlechte Gewohnheit, zu lange aufzubleiben, endlich ablegen.
I finally want to drop my bad habit of staying up too late.
The expression 'aus Gewohnheit' (out of habit) functions like an adverb in a sentence and explains why someone does something. It is often intensified with 'rein' (purely): 'aus reiner Gewohnheit' (purely out of habit).
Er griff aus reiner Gewohnheit zum Telefon, obwohl er niemanden anrufen wollte.
He reached for the phone purely out of habit, even though he didn't want to call anyone.
In the plural ('die Gewohnheiten'), the word often does not refer to personal routines, but rather to the typical customs and traditions of a culture or social group.
Auf Reisen lerne ich gerne die lokalen Gewohnheiten kennen.
When traveling, I like to get to know the local customs.
tradition
'die Tradition' and 'die Gewohnheit' both describe something that you do often or repeatedly. However, 'Tradition' usually refers to a group, family, or culture and has existed for a long time. 'Gewohnheit' is often more personal and develops through repetition in everyday life. You sometimes do it almost automatically. The words can be confused because traditions are also repeated regularly. The simple difference is: a tradition often has a social or cultural meaning; a habit is often a personal routine.
Aus Gewohnheit prüft Mehmet jeden Morgen zuerst seine Nachrichten.
Out of habit, Mehmet checks his messages first thing every morning.
Bei uns ist es Tradition, dass alle Kinder zum Geburtstag ein Lied singen.
In our family, it is a tradition for all the children to sing a song on someone's birthday.