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soler

so-LEHRsoˈleɾ

“soler” means “to usually do” in Spanish (describing a current habit).

to usually do, to be used to doing

Also: to tend to
VerbA2irregular er
A child eating a red apple every morning while sitting at a kitchen table.
gerundsoliendo (rarely used)
infinitivesoler
past Participlesolido (rarely used)

📝 In Action

Suelo desayunar café con tostadas.

A1

I usually have coffee and toast for breakfast.

Cuando era niño, solía jugar en el parque todos los días.

A2

When I was a child, I used to play in the park every day.

No suele llover mucho en esta época del año.

B1

It doesn't usually rain much at this time of year.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • desacostumbrar (to get out of a habit)

Common Collocations

  • como suele suceder – as usually happens
  • lo que se suele decir – what is usually said
  • no suele ser así – it is not usually like that

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yosuela
túsuelas
él/ella/ustedsuela
nosotrossolamos
vosotrossoláis
ellos/ellas/ustedessuelan

Imperfect Subjunctive

yosoliera
túsolieras
él/ella/ustedsoliera
nosotrossoliéramos
vosotrossolierais
ellos/ellas/ustedessolieran

Indicative

Present

yosuelo
túsueles
él/ella/ustedsuele
nosotrossolemos
vosotrossoléis
ellos/ellas/ustedessuelen

Preterite

yosolí
túsoliste
él/ella/ustedsolió
nosotrossolimos
vosotrossolisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedessolieron

Imperfect

yosolía
túsolías
él/ella/ustedsolía
nosotrossolíamos
vosotrossolíais
ellos/ellas/ustedessolían
View All Tenses & Moods →

🔀 Commonly Confused With

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: soler

Question 1 of 3

How would you say 'We usually eat at 2 PM'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
insólito(unusual/extraordinary) — Adjective
solencia(habit/custom (archaic)) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'solere', which carries the exact same meaning of being accustomed to or in the habit of something.

First recorded: 12th century

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: solere

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use 'soler' in the future tense?

Technically yes, but it sounds very strange. To say 'I will usually,' Spanish speakers prefer to use phrases like 'normalmente' (normally) + the future tense of the main verb.

Does 'soler' mean the same thing as 'estar acostumbrado a'?

They are close! 'Soler' describes the frequency of the action (usually doing it), while 'estar acostumbrado a' describes your feeling of being adjusted to it (being used to it).

Is 'soler' a stem-changing verb?

Yes! In the present tense, the 'o' changes to 'ue' in all forms except 'nosotros' and 'vosotros'.