Mixing up Past Tenses

'Solía' comes from the verb 'soler' and is your go-to word for talking about things that happened repeatedly or were true for a long time in the past. It's the Spanish way of saying 'I used to' or 'he/she used to'.

Talking About 'Used To'

After 'solía', you always add the basic '-ar', '-er', or '-ir' form of another verb. For example, 'solía comer' (used to eat), 'solía jugar' (used to play).

Always Followed by Another Verb

The verb 'soler' is special because people don't use it in every tense. You'll almost always see it in the present ('suelo') or the past imperfect ('solía'). Other forms, like the preterite or future, are very rare.

A 'Defective' Verb

Use 'solía' to set the scene when telling a story about your past. It paints a picture of how things were over a period of time, not just a single moment.

A Storytelling Word

Extremely common for talking about past habits and routines.

Learn the meaning of 'solía' in Spanish. Understand how to use this common verb form from 'soler' to talk about past habits and routines ('used to'). See examples, conjugations, and common mistakes.

soler

Complete Conjugation Tables

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

future

imperfect

conditional

preterite

imperative

negative

affirmative

subjunctive

present

imperfect

Practice Conjugations