Soler is an auxiliary verb, which means you'll always find it paired with another verb. It's used to indicate that an action happens on a regular basis. In English, the closest equivalent is "used to" — but that phrase only works in the past tense, while Spanish soler can be conjugated across several tenses.
Of course, just like English, Spanish also has adverbs that express the same idea: usualmente ("usually"), regularmente ("regularly"), habitualmente ("habitually"), and so on. But in casual, everyday conversation, Spanish speakers reach for soler far more often than these adverbs.
The syntax is simple, but important to get right: conjugate soler (the auxiliary verb), then follow it with the infinitive form of the main verb. English has a similar structure in the past tense ("used to" + infinitive). Let's see it in action:
Después, suelo* lavarme los dientes en el baño,
After that, I usually brush my teeth in the bathroom,
y después desayuno.
and then have breakfast.
Captions 3-4, El Aula Azul - Actividades Diarias
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[*Suelo happens to be also a noun that means "floor"]
For comparison, here's the same idea expressed with an adverb instead. Notice how the main verb, lavarse, now has to be conjugated on its own:
Después, usualmente me lavo los dientes en el baño, y después desayuno.
After that, I usually brush my teeth in the bathroom, and then have breakfast.
In this next clip, Xóchitl conjugates soler in the present tense, first-person plural (nosotros), and leaves the main verb hacer ("to do") in the infinitive, exactly as the rule requires:
... actividades que solemos hacer, eh, o festejar,
... activities that we usually do, um, or celebrate,
cada mes o cada año.
each month or each year.
Caption 10, Xóchitl - Vida en Monterrey
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Soler isn't limited to the present — in its past tense form, solía, it describes something someone "used to" do. We cover this, including a fun example from Mexican band Molotov, in our lesson Solía: Used To.
Here's a clip that shows soler conjugated twice in the same breath — once for nosotros, once for a third-person subject:
Después de comer, solemos echar la siesta
After eating, we usually take a nap
y mi padre suele ver la televisión.
and my father usually watches TV.
Captions 20-21, El Aula Azul - Actividades Diarias
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It's also quite common to hear soler combined with an adverb that reinforces the same meaning. Don't be surprised if you come across something like this:
Usualmente suelo ir al parque los domingos.
I usually go to the park on Sunday.
As you can see, soler is a flexible, high-frequency verb that Spanish speakers reach for constantly to talk about habits and routines — in the present, in the past, and even alongside adverbs for extra emphasis. The more you notice it in context, the more natural it'll feel to use yourself.
Let us know how you're getting on, and feel free to write in with any questions!
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