We all have routines and actions that we "usually" carry out. Meet Silvia from the El Aula Azul Language School in San Sebastián, Spain, who walks us through the same things she typically does every day. Along the way, we'll break down exactly how to use the Spanish verb soler to talk about habitual actions — plus a couple of related grammar points you'll want to know.

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What Does Soler Mean in Spanish?

Soler is a verb that literally means "to be accustomed to" or "to be in the habit of." Where English speakers reach for the adverb "usually," Spanish speakers often reach for the present tense of soler followed by an infinitive. Let's hear it in action:

Yo normalmente me levanto a las siete de la mañana.

I normally get up at seven in the morning.

Caption 1, El Aula Azul Actividades Diarias

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Here, Silvia uses normalmente ("normally"), which works much the same way it does in English. But when she gets to her next routine, she switches things up:

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Using Soler + Infinitive to Describe Habits

Ehm... Suelo ducharme con agua caliente.

Um... I usually take a hot shower.

Caption 2, El Aula Azul - Actividades Diarias

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Notice the structure: soler (conjugated) + infinitive. Here, suelo ducharme literally translates to "I am accustomed to showering myself" — but in natural English, we'd simply say "I usually shower." This soler + infinitive pattern is the go-to way to talk about habitual, everyday actions in Spanish. Let's see it again:

Después, ehm... suelo lavarme los dientes en el baño,

After that, um... I usually brush my teeth in the bathroom,

Caption 3, El Aula Azul Actividades Diarias

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A Quick Note on Lavarse vs. Cepillarse

You might expect "to brush your teeth" to use cepillarse (to brush), and that's certainly an option. But lavarse los dientes (literally "to wash one's teeth") is actually the more common, everyday way Spanish speakers express this routine.

Why Spanish Skips Possessive Pronouns with Body Parts

This is also a good moment to highlight another key feature of Spanish: it tends to avoid possessive pronouns when talking about parts of the body. Notice that Silvia says los dientes ("the teeth"), not mis dientes ("my teeth") — even though she's clearly referring to her own teeth. The definite article does the job that "my" would do in English.

Soler in the Past: Solía

Soler isn't limited to the present tense. In its imperfect form, solía, it describes what someone "used to" do — a habitual action in the past. We explored this in our brief lesson about soler, which focuses specifically on this past-tense use.

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Wrapping Up: Making Soler Part of Your Spanish

Whether you're describing your morning routine or talking about what you used to do as a kid, soler is one of the most natural ways to express habitual actions in Spanish — often more common than adverbs like normalmente or generalmente. Try building a few sentences of your own about your daily routine using soler + infinitive, and it'll quickly become second nature.

Let us know how it goes, and don't forget to send us your questions and comments!