Practise soler with its infinitive
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soler in Spanish
What does soler mean?
Soler describes a usual or characteristic action in a two-verb pattern: conjugate soler for the subject, then keep the action verb in the infinitive. Suelo trabajar means “I usually work.”
Soler is irregular in the present: suelo, sueles, suele, solemos, soléis, suelen. The stem changes from o to ue except in nosotros and vosotros.
For a past routine or repeated situation, Spanish commonly uses the imperfect: solía, solías, solía, solíamos, solíais, solían. It presents the habit as a background pattern, not as one bounded event.
A quick rule for soler
Conjugate soler for the subject, then add an infinitive: suelo caminar, suelen cocinar.
Use the present for current tendencies and routines. Negation goes before the conjugated verb: no suelo conducir.
Use the imperfect solía for a past habit. For one completed event, use the main verb in the appropriate tense, as in ayer fui.
24 examples with soler
Compare present routines, the conjugated soler + infinitive pattern, past habits and a one-time event that does not call for soler.
| Spanish phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Suelo caminar antes del trabajo. | I usually walk before work. |
| Sueles tomar café por la mañana. | You usually drink coffee in the morning. |
| Mi hermana suele leer por la noche. | My sister usually reads at night. |
| Solemos cenar a las ocho. | We usually have dinner at eight. |
| ¿Soléis estudiar juntos? | Do you usually study together? (Spain) |
| Los domingos suelen visitar a sus abuelos. | They usually visit their grandparents on Sundays. |
| No suelo ver la televisión. | I don’t usually watch television. |
| ¿Sueles cocinar en casa? | Do you usually cook at home? |
| Aquí suele llover en otoño. | It usually rains here in autumn. |
| Este tren suele llegar tarde. | This train is usually late. |
| Mis vecinos suelen trabajar desde casa. | My neighbors usually work from home. |
| ¿A qué hora suele abrir la tienda? | What time does the shop usually open? |
| Suele haber mucho tráfico a esta hora. | There is usually a lot of traffic at this time. |
| Suele ser difícil madrugar en invierno. | It is usually hard to get up early in winter. |
| Suelen hacer la compra los sábados. | They usually do the shopping on Saturdays. |
| De niño, solía jugar en este parque. | As a child, I used to play in this park. |
| Mi padre solía contar esa historia. | My father used to tell that story. |
| Antes solíamos vivir cerca del mar. | We used to live near the sea. |
| ¿Dónde solías estudiar? | Where did you use to study? |
| En verano, solían levantarse tarde. | In summer, they used to get up late. |
| No solía gustarme el picante. | I didn’t use to like spicy food. |
| Suele venir los viernes. | They usually come on Fridays. |
| Solía venir los viernes. | They used to come on Fridays. |
| Ayer vino a las cinco. | Yesterday, they came at five. |
Learn the pattern in three steps
Keep the conjugated habit verb and the following infinitive together.
Present routines
Conjugate soler; keep the second verb in the infinitive.
Suelo caminar antes del trabajo. · Sueles tomar café por la mañana. · Mi hermana suele leer por la noche. · Solemos cenar a las ocho. · ¿Soléis estudiar juntos? · Los domingos suelen visitar a sus abuelos. · No suelo ver la televisión. · ¿Sueles cocinar en casa? · Aquí suele llover en otoño. · Este tren suele llegar tarde. · Mis vecinos suelen trabajar desde casa. · ¿A qué hora suele abrir la tienda? · Suele haber mucho tráfico a esta hora. · Suele ser difícil madrugar en invierno. · Suelen hacer la compra los sábados.
Past routines
Use solía with an infinitive.
De niño, solía jugar en este parque. · Mi padre solía contar esa historia. · Antes solíamos vivir cerca del mar. · ¿Dónde solías estudiar? · En verano, solían levantarse tarde. · No solía gustarme el picante.
A useful contrast
Separate repeated actions from one-time events.
Suele venir los viernes. · Solía venir los viernes. · Ayer vino a las cinco.
How do you use soler in a sentence?
Choose the subject and conjugate soler: suelo for yo, sueles for tú, suele for él/ella/usted, solemos for nosotros, soléis for vosotros, and suelen for ellos/ustedes.
Add one infinitive for the recurring action: solemos salir, suele llover. Do not conjugate both verbs.
For a past habit, use the imperfect form of soler plus the infinitive. Context and time expressions help show that the pattern belongs to the past.
Soler is generally used for habitual or characteristic actions, not for a single event. A habitual reading can depend on context; no single adverb mechanically determines the tense.
Continue with Spanish tenses and habitual expressions.
A five-minute practice
- Say the six present forms aloud.
- Pair each form with a different infinitive.
- Turn three present routines into past habits with solía.
- Make two examples negative and two into questions.
- Contrast a repeated event with one completed occasion.
Grammar references
The conjugation and habitual use were checked against RAE–ASALE and Instituto Cervantes reference material.
Frequently asked questions
What does soler mean in Spanish?
It means to usually or customarily do something when followed by an infinitive.
How do you conjugate soler in the present?
Suelo, sueles, suele, solemos, soléis, suelen. The o changes to ue except in nosotros and vosotros.
How do you say “used to” with soler?
Use the imperfect of soler plus an infinitive, such as solía caminar.
Can soler describe a one-time event?
It normally marks a habit or tendency. Use the main verb in the appropriate tense for a single completed event.
Does Hola Cards correct soler automatically?
No. You can save and practise the examples; this guide explains the pattern.
Copy the soler examples
Import the Spanish phrases and translations into a custom group.
**Soler in Spanish: 24 examples**
Suelo caminar antes del trabajo. - I usually walk before work.
Sueles tomar café por la mañana. - You usually drink coffee in the morning.
Mi hermana suele leer por la noche. - My sister usually reads at night.
Solemos cenar a las ocho. - We usually have dinner at eight.
¿Soléis estudiar juntos? - Do you usually study together? (Spain)
Los domingos suelen visitar a sus abuelos. - They usually visit their grandparents on Sundays.
No suelo ver la televisión. - I don’t usually watch television.
¿Sueles cocinar en casa? - Do you usually cook at home?
Aquí suele llover en otoño. - It usually rains here in autumn.
Este tren suele llegar tarde. - This train is usually late.
Mis vecinos suelen trabajar desde casa. - My neighbors usually work from home.
¿A qué hora suele abrir la tienda? - What time does the shop usually open?
Suele haber mucho tráfico a esta hora. - There is usually a lot of traffic at this time.
Suele ser difícil madrugar en invierno. - It is usually hard to get up early in winter.
Suelen hacer la compra los sábados. - They usually do the shopping on Saturdays.
De niño, solía jugar en este parque. - As a child, I used to play in this park.
Mi padre solía contar esa historia. - My father used to tell that story.
Antes solíamos vivir cerca del mar. - We used to live near the sea.
¿Dónde solías estudiar? - Where did you use to study?
En verano, solían levantarse tarde. - In summer, they used to get up late.
No solía gustarme el picante. - I didn’t use to like spicy food.
Suele venir los viernes. - They usually come on Fridays.
Solía venir los viernes. - They used to come on Fridays.
Ayer vino a las cinco. - Yesterday, they came at five.
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