soportarlo
/so-por-TAR-lo/
to tolerate it
Visualizing "to tolerate it" (soportarlo) by showing patience during a minor inconvenience.
soportarlo(Verb)
to tolerate it
?enduring a difficult situation
,to put up with it
?dealing with an annoyance
to bear it
?enduring pain or hardship
📝 In Action
No puedo soportarlo más, su ruido me vuelve loco.
B1I can't tolerate it anymore, his noise drives me crazy.
Tienes que aprender a soportarlo si quieres quedarte en este trabajo.
B2You have to learn to put up with it if you want to stay in this job.
El dolor era tan fuerte que tuvo que soportarlo en silencio.
C1The pain was so strong that he had to bear it in silence.
💡 Grammar Points
Verb + Pronoun Merge
The word 'soportarlo' is actually two words combined: the base verb 'soportar' plus the pronoun 'lo' (meaning 'it' or 'him'). This merge is required when the verb is in its base form.
Pronoun Placement Rule
When you use the base form of the verb, the little pronoun word ('lo', 'la', 'me', etc.) must be glued to the end. The stress of the word stays on the main verb part.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Separating the Words
Mistake: "Quiero lo soportar."
Correction: Quiero soportarlo. (The pronoun must follow the base form of the verb when used this way.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Using 'Soportarlo' vs. 'Lo Soporto'
'Soportarlo' (the base form) is used after another conjugated verb (e.g., 'Debo soportarlo' - I must tolerate it). If you conjugate 'soportar' directly, the pronoun moves to the front (e.g., 'Lo soporto' - I tolerate it).
Visualizing "to support it" (soportarlo) by showing the physical action of holding up weight.
soportarlo(Verb)
to support it
?physically holding up weight
,to bear its weight
?structural capacity
📝 In Action
La columna es fuerte, puede soportarlo sin problema.
B1The column is strong, it can support it without a problem.
Necesitamos un estante que sea capaz de soportarlo todo.
B2We need a shelf that is capable of holding up all of it.
⭐ Usage Tips
Context is Key
When talking about physical objects, 'soportarlo' means 'to hold the weight.' When talking about feelings or noise, it means 'to tolerate the annoyance.' Listen to the context to know the meaning!
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: soportarlo
Question 1 of 2
Which English sentence correctly uses the 'tolerate' meaning of 'soportarlo'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is there an accent mark on 'soportándolo' (the gerund form)?
When you attach a pronoun (like 'lo') to a verb form, you sometimes need an accent mark to keep the original sound of the verb. 'Soportando' stresses the 'a' sound, and adding 'lo' shifts the stress, so the accent mark 'ó' brings the stress back to where it belongs.
Can 'soportar' be used for emotional support, like 'I support your decision'?
No. In Spanish, 'soportar' is reserved for bearing weight or tolerating difficulty. For emotional support or backing a decision, you should use 'apoyar' (e.g., 'Apoyo tu decisión').