Español — soler + infinitive
The verb 'soler' followed by an infinitive expresses that an action is done habitually or usually. It works only in the present and the imperfect: 'Suelo desayunar café' means 'I usually have coffee for breakfast'.
How it works
Conjugate 'soler' to agree with the subject and leave the second verb in the infinitive: 'Suelo estudiar por la noche', 'Solemos ir en tren'. It is an e→ue stem-changing verb, so the stem is 'suel-' in the stressed forms (suelo, sueles, suele, suelen) and 'sol-' in the unstressed ones (solemos, soléis).
Forms and examples
| Form + example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (yo) suelo desayunar café | I usually have coffee for breakfast |
| (tú) sueles llegar tarde | you usually arrive late |
| (él/ella) suele salir a correr | he/she usually goes out for a run |
| (nosotros) solemos ir en tren | we usually go by train |
| (vosotros) soléis estudiar juntos | you (pl.) usually study together |
| (ellos) suelen cenar tarde | they usually have dinner late |
Good to know
'Soler' has no future, preterite or command forms, so it cannot be used for a single, completed action. To talk about the past you must use the imperfect: 'Solía desayunar café' (I used to have coffee for breakfast). Also, it always needs an infinitive after it — you cannot say 'Suelo café', only 'Suelo tomar café'.