How to Use "Soler" + Infinitive to Express Habitual Actions in Spanish

From English to Español: Bridging the Grammar Gap with Alberto Rodriquez

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Understanding the Use of Soler + Infinitive to Express Habitual Actions in Spanish

When learning Spanish, one useful grammatical construction that helps describe repeated or habitual actions is soler + infinitive. This structure is a powerful way to express things you "usually" do or "tend" to do. As English speakers, you can think of it as a direct equivalent to phrases like "I usually," "He tends to," or "They are accustomed to" doing something.

What Does Soler Mean?

Soler is a regular verb that means "to usually do something". When combined with an infinitive verb (the base form of the verb, e.g., comer, hablar, estudiar), it expresses habitual actions — those habits or customs someone performs regularly.

How to Use Soler + Infinitive

The verb soler is conjugated like a regular -er verb (present, past, etc.), then followed directly by the infinitive of the action verb. Note that the infinitive does not change and remains the base verb.

1. Conjugate soler in the appropriate tense for your sentence.
2. Follow soler immediately with the infinitive verb describing the habitual action.

For example, in the present tense:

• Yo suelo estudiar — I usually study
• Tú sueles comer — You usually eat
• Ella suele correr — She usually runs
• Nosotros solemos trabajar — We usually work
• Ellos suelen viajar — They usually travel

Examples in Sentences

To make this clearer, here are some examples with context:

• Soler + present:
  Suelo levantarme temprano los fines de semana.
  (I usually get up early on weekends.)
• Soler + imperfect (past habitual action):
  Cuando era niño, solía jugar en el parque todos los días.
  (When I was a child, I used to play in the park every day.)
• Soler + past tense but with nuance:
  Antes, solíamos cenar juntos los domingos.
  (Before, we usually had dinner together on Sundays.)

Important Notes and Exceptions

• Soler is mostly used in the present and imperfect tenses because it deals with habitual actions — either current or in the past.
• In the preterite (simple past), soler is rarely used because the preterite focuses on specific, completed actions rather than habits. If you want to refer to habitual past actions, the imperfect form solía is almost always preferred.
• The verb is not commonly found in the future or conditional tenses to express habits. Instead, you'll generally see other expressions like "normalmente" or "habitualmente."
• Do not confuse soler with usar (to use) or acostumbrar (to be accustomed to). While all can express habit or use, their meanings and contexts differ. Soler specifically conveys repeated or habitual behavior.
• Since soler is a semi-modal verb, it only appears with an infinitive verb and cannot be followed by conjugated verbs.

Quick Recap

• Role of Soler: Expresses habitual or regular actions.
• Structure: soler (conjugated) + infinitive verb
• Common Tenses: Present and imperfect
• Example: Yo suelo beber café por la mañana. (I usually drink coffee in the morning.)
• Exception: Avoid using soler in preterite; use imperfect instead (solía).

Mastering soler + infinitive will enrich your ability to describe routines, habits, and tendencies clearly and naturally in Spanish. Keep practicing by making your own sentences to talk about what you or others usually or regularly do!

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