A storybook illustration showing a character performing a routine action. A smiling person walks a small, happy dog along a well-worn, familiar dirt path in a bright, colorful park.

suele

sueh-leh

VerbA2Irregular (O>UE stem-changing) er

usually?expressing habit or routine,tends to?expressing typical behavior

Also:is accustomed to?formal or literary usage

Quick Reference

infinitivesoler

gerundsoliendo

past Participlesolido

📝 In Action

Mi jefe nunca está aquí a las 9. Él **suele** llegar más tarde.

My boss is never here at 9. He usually arrives later.

La lluvia **suele** provocar tráfico en la ciudad.

The rain tends to cause traffic in the city.

En esta época del año, el viento **suele** soplar con fuerza.

At this time of year, the wind usually blows strongly.

Word Connections

Synonyms

acostumbrar a (to be used to)
tener la costumbre de (to have the custom of)

Common Collocations

soler + infinitivo – to usually do something

💡 Grammar Points

Always followed by the base verb

The verb 'soler' is almost always followed immediately by another verb in its base form (the infinitive: 'comer', 'vivir', 'ser'). You never use 'suele' by itself.

The O > UE Change

In the present tense, the 'o' in the middle of 'soler' changes to 'ue' (suelo, sueles, suele, suelen), except for 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' (solemos, soléis).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing 'Suele' with 'Used To'

Mistake: "Using 'suele' to talk about a past habit that no longer happens (e.g., 'Solí ir al parque')."

Correction: The form '**suele**' is only for present habits. For past habits, use the imperfect form '**solía**' ('Ella solía trabajar aquí').

Using 'Suele' in Other Tenses

Mistake: "Trying to use 'soler' in the future or conditional (e.g., 'solerá')."

Correction: Because 'soler' means 'to habitually do,' it is almost exclusively used in the present ('suele') or the imperfect past ('solía'). Avoid other tenses.

⭐ Usage Tips

Expressing Routine Simply

Think of 'suele' as a single-word shortcut for 'normally' or 'as a rule.' It's often more natural than using the adverb 'normalmente'.

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedsuele

yosuelo

túsueles

ellos/ellas/ustedessuelen

nosotrossolemos

vosotrossoléis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedsolía

yosolía

túsolías

ellos/ellas/ustedessolían

nosotrossolíamos

vosotrossolíais

preterite

él/ella/ustedsolió

yosolí

túsoliste

ellos/ellas/ustedessolieron

nosotrossolimos

vosotrossolisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedsuela

yosuela

túsuelas

ellos/ellas/ustedessuelan

nosotrossolamos

vosotrossoláis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedsoliera/soliese

yosoliera/soliese

túsolieras/solieses

ellos/ellas/ustedessolieran/soliesen

nosotrossoliéramos/soliésemos

vosotrossolierais/solieseis

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: suele

Question 1 of 2

Which English phrase is the best translation for 'Mi perro suele dormir todo el día'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

soler(to usually do) - verb

costumbre(custom or habit) - noun

solía(he/she/I used to) - verb (imperfect)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use 'suele' to talk about a unique, one-time event?

No. 'Suele' is only used for actions or states that repeat or are considered routine. If you want to say 'he did it once,' you must use a different verb like 'hacer' (hizo).

Is 'suele' the same as 'normally'?

Yes, functionally they are very similar. 'Suele' (or the infinitive 'soler') is often a more concise and natural way to express the idea of 'normally' or 'typically' in Spanish than using the adverb 'normalmente'.