A high quality storybook illustration showing two cheerful children, a boy and a girl, flying colorful kites in a wide, sunny green field. A visible, slightly worn path leads up to where they are standing, symbolizing a frequently repeated activity.

solían

soh-LEE-ahn

VerbB1Conjugation of 'soler' (Imperfect Indicative, 3rd Person Plural) er

they used to?Expressing past habit,they would (regularly)?Describing a repeated action in the past

Also:you (plural, formal) used to?Referring to Ustedes

Quick Reference

past Participlesolido

infinitivesoler

gerundsoliendo

📝 In Action

Mis padres solían ir al cine todos los sábados.

My parents used to go to the movies every Saturday.

Antes, los vecinos solían dejar las puertas abiertas.

Before, the neighbors would usually leave their doors open.

En esa época, ellos solían viajar mucho por trabajo.

During that time, they were accustomed to traveling a lot for work.

Word Connections

Synonyms

acostumbraban (they were accustomed to)
hacían (a menudo) (they did (often))

Common Collocations

solían decir – they used to say
solían hacer – they used to do/make

💡 Grammar Points

Always Needs a Partner

The verb 'solían' (or 'soler' in any form) is an auxiliary verb—it must always be followed immediately by another verb in its basic, infinitive form (e.g., 'solían ir,' 'solían hablar').

The Imperfect Tense

'Solían' is a form of the Imperfect tense, which is used to describe ongoing states, habits, and repeated actions in the past, often without a specific end date.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using 'soler' alone

Mistake: "Ellos solían."

Correction: Ellos solían [comer] o [visitar]. 'Solían' needs a main action verb to complete the meaning.

Confusing 'Soler' with 'Ser'

Mistake: "They sometimes confuse 'solía' with forms of the verb 'ser' (to be)."

Correction: Remember that 'soler' is only about habits, while 'ser' is about permanent characteristics. 'Solían' is pronounced with a strong 'L' sound.

⭐ Usage Tips

More Specific than the Imperfect

While the imperfect tense (e.g., 'comían') can mean 'they used to eat,' using 'solían comer' emphasizes that the action was a regular, established habit or custom.

Focus on Repetition

Use 'solían' specifically when you want to highlight the repetitive nature of an action that occurred over a long period in the past.

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

vosotrossoléis

él/ella/ustedsuele

túsueles

yosuelo

nosotrossolemos

ellos/ellas/ustedessuelen

preterite

vosotrossolisteis

él/ella/ustedsolió

túsoliste

yosolí

nosotrossolimos

ellos/ellas/ustedessolieron

imperfect

vosotrossolíais

él/ella/ustedsolía

túsolías

yosolía

nosotrossolíamos

ellos/ellas/ustedessolían

subjunctive

present

vosotrossoláis

él/ella/ustedsuela

túsuelas

yosuela

nosotrossolamos

ellos/ellas/ustedessuelan

imperfect

vosotrossolierais/solieseis

él/ella/ustedsoliera/soliese

túsolieras/solieses

yosoliera/soliese

nosotrossoliéramos/soliésemos

ellos/ellas/ustedessolieran/soliesen

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: solían

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'solían'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

soler(to usually do) - verb

costumbre(custom/habit) - noun

solía(I/he/she used to) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'solían hacer' and 'hacían'?

Both mean 'they used to do,' but 'solían hacer' (using 'soler') is much stronger and more explicitly emphasizes that the action was a regular, established habit or custom. 'Hacían' (just the imperfect) can cover habits, but also descriptions or ongoing background actions.

Is 'solían' often used in formal writing?

Yes, 'solían' is standard, neutral Spanish and is used across all registers, from casual conversation to formal historical descriptions, whenever a past custom or habit needs to be clearly expressed.