How do I say used to do in Spanish?

Solía + infinitive (imperfect form of soler). Solía vivir en Madrid (I used to live in Madrid). Cuando era niño, solía jugar mucho (When I was a child, I used to play a lot). This is the most natural way to express past habits.

Why doesn't soler have a preterite form?

Soler is a defective verb that only conjugates in present, imperfect, and subjunctive. The reason is conceptual: habits don't exist as one-off completed actions. For one-off past events, use the preterite of the main verb directly without soler.

What's the difference between soler and the adverb usualmente?

Suele cocinar = usually cooks (compact, natural). Cocina usualmente = cooks usually (more roundabout, less idiomatic). Soler is preferred in most native speech for habits; the adverb usualmente works in more formal or descriptive contexts.

How can I learn soler naturally?

Habits and routines are constant topics. Parrot's short-form videos surface suelo / solía + infinitive in real conversations about daily life, so the construction becomes automatic with exposure.

Spanish grammar · Intermediate

Soler + Infinitive: How to Say Usually Do in Spanish

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Periphrastic meaning to usually / habitually do. Conjugate soler (o → ue stem change) in present or imperfect, follow directly with an infinitive (no preposition). Used to describe habits and customary actions.

Suelo correr por las mañanas.

I usually run in the mornings.

What it is

Soler + infinitive is the standard Spanish way to express habitual or customary actions. Conjugate soler (o → ue stem change in present) and follow directly with an infinitive (no preposition). Equivalent to English usually, tend to, or used to (imperfect tense).

In Suelo correr por las mañanas (I usually run in the mornings), suelo is the present yo form of soler and correr is the infinitive. The construction conveys habit.

How to spot it

Look for soler + infinitive (no preposition). Soler only works in the present and imperfect tenses, not in the preterite, future, or conditional. For one-off actions, use a different construction.

Suele llover en abril. — It usually rains in April.
Solía vivir en Madrid. — I used to live in Madrid.
Solemos ir al parque los domingos. — We usually go to the park on Sundays.

Soler doesn't conjugate in the preterite, future, conditional, or compound tenses. For other tenses, use the adverb usualmente / normalmente or a different verb structure.

Soler + Infinitive Quick Reference

Soler conjugation (limited to present and imperfect)

Tense	yo form	Meaning
Present	suelo + inf.	I usually...
Imperfect	solía + inf.	I used to...
Subjunctive (present)	suela + inf.	(that) I usually...
Subjunctive (imperfect)	soliera / soliese + inf.	(that) I used to...

Common Soler + Infinitive Examples in Spanish

Soler expresses habits and customs. Use present for current habits, imperfect for past habits (used to).

Present Habits (Suelo)

Suelo desayunar a las 8.: I usually have breakfast at 8.
Sueles llegar tarde.: You tend to arrive late.
Suele hacer calor en agosto.: It's usually hot in August.
Solemos cenar juntos los domingos.: We usually have dinner together on Sundays.
Suelen estudiar en la biblioteca.: They usually study in the library.

Present tense soler describes current, ongoing habits and customs.

Past Habits (Used To: Solía)

Solía vivir en Madrid.: I used to live in Madrid.
Cuando era niño, solía jugar mucho.: When I was a child, I used to play a lot.
Mi abuela solía cocinar para todos.: My grandmother used to cook for everyone.
Solíamos viajar cada verano.: We used to travel every summer.
Solían ir al cine todos los viernes.: They used to go to the movies every Friday.

Imperfect tense soler (solía, solías, solía, solíamos, solíais, solían) translates as used to. The most common way to express past habitual actions in Spanish.

Comparing Past and Present

Antes solía fumar, pero ya no.: I used to smoke, but not anymore.
Cuando vivía solo, solía cocinar más.: When I lived alone, I used to cook more.
Ahora suelo trabajar de noche.: Now I usually work at night.
Solíamos vernos los fines de semana, ahora apenas.: We used to see each other on weekends, now barely.
Suelo madrugar, pero hoy no.: I usually wake up early, but not today.

Common combinations: solía + verb in the past + ya no (used to + verb + not anymore), suelo + verb (current habit) often paired with adverbs like normalmente, antes, ahora.

Subjunctive of Soler

No creo que suela ir.: I don't think he usually goes.
Es raro que solamos disfrutar tanto.: It's strange that we usually enjoy it so much.
Espero que solamos coincidir.: I hope we usually meet up.
Dudo que suela estudiar.: I doubt he usually studies.
Si suele llegar tarde, no me sorprende.: If he usually arrives late, it doesn't surprise me.

Subjunctive forms of soler exist but are rare in casual speech. Mostly used in formal writing or specific subjunctive triggers.

How Soler + Infinitive Works

Structure: Soler + Infinitive (No Preposition)

Conjugate soler in present or imperfect, then follow directly with an infinitive. No preposition between them. The infinitive carries the action; soler carries the habit meaning.

suelo / solía + correr.

Direct construction, no preposition.

Soler + infinitive. No a, no de, no que.

Soler Is o → ue Stem-Changing

In the present indicative, soler follows the o → ue boot stem change: suelo, sueles, suele, solemos, soléis, suelen. Nosotros and vosotros keep the o (solemos, soléis). The imperfect is regular: solía, solías, solía, solíamos, solíais, solían.

suelo, sueles, suele, solemos, soléis, suelen.

Boot stem change in present.

o → ue in stressed forms; o in nosotros/vosotros.

Limited to Present and Imperfect

Soler doesn't conjugate in the preterite, future, conditional, or compound tenses. For other tenses, use adverbs like usualmente, normalmente, generalmente + a regular verb form. Soler is defective in many tenses.

Suelo (present), solía (imperfect). No suelí or solré.

Defective verb in most tenses.

Only present and imperfect.

Imperfect Solía = Used To

Solía + infinitive is the most natural way to express used to + verb in Spanish. More compact than the alternative imperfect tense (which can be ambiguous). Mi abuela solía cocinar = my grandma used to cook (definitively habitual).

Solía vivir aquí.

Used to + verb = solía + infinitive.

Past habits = solía.

Common Mistakes with Soler + Infinitive

Incorrect: Suelo a correr por las mañanas. — I usually run in the mornings. (wrong, extra a)

Correct: Suelo correr por las mañanas. — I usually run in the mornings.

Soler doesn't take a preposition. The construction is direct: conjugated soler + infinitive. Don't add a.

Incorrect: Solí correr por las mañanas. — I usually ran... (wrong, soler doesn't have preterite form)

Correct: Suelo / solía correr por las mañanas. — I usually ran... / I used to run...

Soler doesn't conjugate in the preterite. For past habits, use the imperfect (solía). For one-off past actions, use a different construction or just the preterite of the main verb.

Incorrect: Sole llover en abril. — It usually rains in April. (wrong, missing o → ue change)

Correct: Suele llover en abril. — It usually rains in April.

Soler takes the o → ue stem change in the present indicative. The él/ella form is suele, not sole. The infinitive soler doesn't show the stem change, but conjugated forms do.

Soler + Infinitive FAQs

How do I say usually do in Spanish?: Soler + infinitive. Conjugate soler in present (suelo, sueles, suele) and follow directly with an infinitive (no preposition). Suelo correr (I usually run). Suele llover en abril (It usually rains in April).
How do I say used to do in Spanish?: Solía + infinitive (imperfect form of soler). Solía vivir en Madrid (I used to live in Madrid). Cuando era niño, solía jugar mucho (When I was a child, I used to play a lot). This is the most natural way to express past habits.
Why doesn't soler have a preterite form?: Soler is a defective verb that only conjugates in present, imperfect, and subjunctive. The reason is conceptual: habits don't exist as one-off completed actions. For one-off past events, use the preterite of the main verb directly without soler.
What's the difference between soler and the adverb usualmente?: Suele cocinar = usually cooks (compact, natural). Cocina usualmente = cooks usually (more roundabout, less idiomatic). Soler is preferred in most native speech for habits; the adverb usualmente works in more formal or descriptive contexts.
How can I learn soler naturally?: Habits and routines are constant topics. Parrot's short-form videos surface suelo / solía + infinitive in real conversations about daily life, so the construction becomes automatic with exposure.