Spanish has a very cool verb to talk about habits, “soler”, which literally means “to be in the habit of”.
The Spanish verb “soler” is a highly useful and commonly used verb that doesn’t have a perfect one-word equivalent in English. It is often translated as “to tend to” or “to usually”, as it conveys the idea of a habitual action or what someone generally does.
“Soler” is typically used in the present or past tense (imperfect), followed by an infinitive. Its use in other tenses is less common. Below are its conjugations in present and imperfect tenses:
Present Tense:
- Yo suelo
- Tú sueles
- Él/Ella/Usted suele
- Nosotros/Nosotras solemos
- Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes suelen
Imperfect Tense:
- Yo solía
- Tú solías
- Él/Ella/Usted solía
- Nosotros/Nosotras solíamos
- Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes solían
Here are a few examples of “soler” in sentences:
- Yo suelo leer antes de dormir. (I usually read before sleeping.)
- Nosotros solemos ir al cine los viernes. (We tend to go to the movies on Fridays.)
- Ella solía correr todas las mañanas. (She used to run every morning.)
In conclusion, understanding and using the verb “soler” can greatly enhance your ability to express habitual or frequent actions in Spanish, and is an essential part of achieving fluency in the language.