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suelen

SUE-len

Verb (Conjugated form)A2irregular and defective (e > ue stem change) er

they usually?as in, 'they usually do something',they tend to?as in, 'they have a tendency to do something'

Also:you (all) usually?when using 'ustedes'

Quick Reference

infinitivesoler

gerundsoliendo

past Participlesolido

📝 In Action

Mis padres no comen carne. Suelen comer pescado.

My parents don't eat meat. They usually eat fish.

Los problemas suelen aparecer cuando menos los esperas.

Problems tend to appear when you least expect them.

¿Ustedes suelen ir al gimnasio o prefieren caminar?

Do you all usually go to the gym or do you prefer to walk?

Word Connections

Synonyms

acostumbrar (to be accustomed to)
tener la costumbre de (to have the habit of)

Common Collocations

suelen decir – they usually say
suelen ser – they tend to be

💡 Grammar Points

Always Needs an Infinitive

The verb 'soler' (and thus 'suelen') must always be followed immediately by another verb in its base form (the infinitive: comer, hablar, ir, etc.). It acts like a helper verb.

Focus on Habit, Not Single Action

'Suelen' is used for ongoing habits or general truths. You cannot use it to describe a single action that happened or will happen once.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using the Preterite Tense

Mistake: "Ellos solieron ir al cine."

Correction: Use the imperfect tense for past habits: 'Ellos solían ir al cine.' The preterite (single past action) is almost never used with 'soler'.

⭐ Usage Tips

The E > UE Change

'Suelen' comes from 'soler'. Notice how the 'o' changes to 'ue' when the stress falls on that syllable. This happens in almost all forms except 'nosotros' (solemos) and 'vosotros' (soléis).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: suelen

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'suelen'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

soler(to usually do) - verb (infinitive)

suelo(I usually do) - verb (conjugated)

costumbre(custom, habit) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'soler' have so many blank spaces in the conjugation table?

'Soler' is what linguists call a 'defective verb.' This means it is only commonly used in tenses that describe repeated actions or habits, primarily the Present and the Imperfect. It is very rare or impossible to use it in tenses like the Preterite (single past action), Future, or Conditional.

Is 'suelen' the same as 'estar acostumbrados a'?

They are very similar! Both express habit. 'Suelen' is often a simpler, more direct way to say 'they usually do X.' 'Estar acostumbrados a' means 'they are accustomed to X,' and it is followed by a noun or a verb in the infinitive.