A hand opening up to let a small blue bird fly away into the bright sky.

suelte

SWEL-teh

verbA2irregular (stem-changing) ar

let go?releasing a physical grip

Also:release?setting something or someone free,loosen?making something less tight

Quick Reference

gerundsoltando

past Participlesuelto

infinitivesoltar

📝 In Action

Por favor, suelte la cuerda poco a poco.

Please, let go of the rope bit by bit.

Dudo que el perro me suelte el zapato.

I doubt the dog will let go of my shoe.

Espero que el jefe me suelte temprano hoy.

I hope the boss lets me out early today.

Word Connections

Synonyms

liberar (to free)
aflojar (to loosen)

Antonyms

agarrar (to grab)
sujetar (to hold tightly)

Common Collocations

suelte una carcajada – to burst out laughing
suelte prenda – to spill the beans / give a hint

💡 Grammar Points

The Stem Change

Notice how the 'o' in 'soltar' changes to 'ue' in 'suelte.' This happens in all forms where the stress is on the root of the word.

Polite Commands

To give a polite, formal order (using 'usted'), use the 'e' ending for -ar verbs. That's why 'suelte' is used for 'let go' when speaking respectfully.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Suelte vs. Suelto

Mistake: "Using 'suelte' to describe loose clothing."

Correction: Use 'suelto' for adjectives. Use 'suelte' only for the action (verb).

⭐ Usage Tips

Emergency Commands

If you need someone to let go of something immediately and politely, '¡Suelte!' is your go-to word.

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedessoltaran

yosoltara

túsoltaras

vosotrossoltarais

nosotrossoltáramos

él/ella/ustedsoltara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedessuelten

yosuelte

túsueltes

vosotrossoltéis

nosotrossoltemos

él/ella/ustedsuelte

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedessoltaron

yosolté

túsoltaste

vosotrossoltasteis

nosotrossoltamos

él/ella/ustedsoltó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedessoltaban

yosoltaba

túsoltabas

vosotrossoltabais

nosotrossoltábamos

él/ella/ustedsoltaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedessueltan

yosuelto

túsueltas

vosotrossoltáis

nosotrossoltamos

él/ella/ustedsuelta

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: suelte

Question 1 of 2

If you want to politely ask a stranger to let go of your arm, you should say:

📚 More Resources

Word Family

soltar(to let go) - verb

suelto(loose) - adjective

soltura(fluency/ease) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'suelte' the same as 'suerte'?

No! 'Suerte' means 'luck,' while 'suelte' is a form of the verb meaning 'to let go.' They sound similar but have very different meanings.

When do I use 'suelte' instead of 'suelta'?

Use 'suelte' for formal commands (Usted) or when expressing a wish/doubt. Use 'suelta' for informal commands with friends (tú).