Be used to means be accustomed to — something feels normal, not strange. Get used to means become accustomed to — the process of adapting to something new. Both are followed by a noun or the -ing form of a verb, and both work in any tense.
These constructions look similar to used to + base verb (past habits), but the grammar and meaning are completely different.
Be used to — a state
Be used to describes a current state: the person is already familiar with something, and it no longer feels difficult or strange.
In the negative, the meaning flips: the thing still feels unfamiliar.
Questions follow the normal pattern with be.
Get used to — a process
Get used to describes change over time. The person is in the middle of adapting, or has finished adapting, or never managed to adapt.
The difference from be used to is about movement. Be used to is the destination — you are already there. Get used to is the journey — you are on the way, or you arrived, or you never did.
What follows "to"
In both constructions, the word to is a preposition, not part of an infinitive. This is the single most important detail for avoiding mistakes.
Because to is a preposition, a verb after it takes the -ing form.
A noun or pronoun works the same way — no -ing needed, because it is already a noun.
If you use a base verb after to, the sentence changes meaning entirely — it becomes a past habit construction, not "accustomed to" at all. Compare:
| SENTENCE | STRUCTURE | MEANING |
|---|---|---|
| I'm used to driving at night. | be used to + -ing | I'm comfortable with it. |
| I used to drive at night. | used to + base verb | I drove at night in the past, but I don't anymore. |
Tense flexibility
Unlike used to + base verb, which exists only in the past tense, be used to and get used to work in any tense. You conjugate be or get as needed.
Present:
Past:
Future:
Present perfect:
Three constructions side by side
English has three common structures with the word used. They look similar on the page but serve different purposes.
used to + base verb — past habit: I used to smoke.
be used to + noun / -ing — be accustomed: I'm used to the cold.
get used to + noun / -ing — become accustomed: I'm getting used to the cold.
The first one is a fixed past-tense form — it has no present or future. The other two are flexible and work in any tense.
Past habits with used to are covered separately.
Common mistakes
Using a base verb instead of -ing
Confusing the three structures
Missing "be" or "get"
Spelling: "use to" instead of "used to"
Wrong tense of "be" or "get"