Inklingo

suelen

SUE-lenˈswe.len

suelen means they usually in Spanish (as in, 'they usually do something').

they usually, they tend to

Also: you (all) usually
A2irregular and defective (e > ue stem change) er
A colorful storybook illustration showing three identical cartoon rabbits standing together on a sunny green field, each holding a small blue bucket, suggesting they are routinely preparing for a shared task.
infinitivesoler
gerundsoliendo
past Participlesolido

📝 In Action

Mis padres no comen carne. Suelen comer pescado.

A2

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

Los problemas suelen aparecer cuando menos los esperas.

B1

Problems tend to appear when you least expect them.

¿Ustedes suelen ir al gimnasio o prefieren caminar?

A2

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 decirthey usually say
  • suelen serthey tend to be

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

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

imperfect

él/ella/ustedsolía
yosolía
solías
ellos/ellas/ustedessolían
nosotrossolíamos
vosotrossolíais

preterite

él/ella/usted
yo
ellos/ellas/ustedes
nosotros
vosotros

subjunctive

present

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

imperfect

él/ella/ustedsoliera/soliese
yosoliera/soliese
solieras/solieses
ellos/ellas/ustedessolieran/soliesen
nosotrossoliéramos/soliésemos
vosotrossolierais/solieseis

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "suelen" in Spanish:

they usually

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: suelen

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'suelen'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
duelenvuelen
📚 Etymology

The verb 'soler' (from which 'suelen' is conjugated) comes from the Latin verb *solere*, which meant 'to be accustomed to' or 'to be in the habit of.' It has maintained this core meaning for centuries.

First recorded: Old Spanish

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: solere

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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.