--- title: "đŸ€”Used to in Spanish: how to talk about past habits naturally đŸ‡Ș🇾" description: Learn how to say used to in Spanish using the imperfect tense and soler. Easy explanations, examples in context and common phrases to boost your Spanish. --- [SoyGuiri Blog](https://blog.soyguiri.com) # [đŸ€”Used to in Spanish: how to talk about past habits naturally đŸ‡Ș🇾](https://blog.soyguiri.com/used-to-in-spanish) Written by [Elena](https://blog.soyguiri.com/author/elena) | Nov 26, 2025, 9:00:00 AM When you say *used to* in English, you are talking about past habits or routines that were true for a long time. It’s a super common structure because we often describe things we *used to* do in childhood, school, work or daily life. In Spanish, however, there isn’t one single verb that matches the English *used to*, but there are two very natural and easy ways to express the same idea. These two tools will help you sound more fluent and confident when talking about things you used to do in the past. Let’s learn how to use them! 😊 ## 🌟 The two main ways to express ‘used to’ in Spanish In English, we use *used to* to describe repeated actions or states in the past. But in Spanish, there are two different options, and each one has its own charm. 💃 **The imperfect tense**: This is your go-to for expressing past habits. It’s like the Swiss Army knife of past actions! 🔹 It describes something that happened **repeatedly** or **habitually** in the past, with no clear start or finish. Think of it as the go-to way to say, “I used to do this, it was a routine, but now it’s not.” đŸ•°ïž **Soler + infinitive**: This is another awesome option that focuses on the idea of being in the habit of doing something. *Soler* is great for talking about things you **usually** do, both in the present and the past. When used in the **past**, it’s like saying “I was in the habit of doing this” or “I used to do it regularly.” 🌟 Both of these forms will help you express **habits** and **routines** in a natural way. Which one to use? Well, we’ll get to that soon! 😎 ### **đŸ”„ The imperfect tense: the main way to say ‘used to’** The imperfect tense is a **powerful tool** when it comes to talking about repeated actions in the past. 🌞 It’s the first option that comes to mind when we want to say *used to*. Conjugation is very easy; verbs ending in -er and -ir have the same ! Look: | **Pronoun** | **Cantar** | **Correr** | **Vivir** | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | yo | cant**aba** | corr**Ă­a** | viv**Ă­a** | | tĂș | cant**abas** | corr**Ă­as** | viv**Ă­as** | | Ă©l / ella / usted | cant**aba** | corr**Ă­a** | viv**Ă­a** | | nosotros / nosotras | cant**ĂĄbamos** | corr**Ă­amos** | viv**Ă­amos** | | vosotros / vosotras | cant**ĂĄbais** | corr**Ă­ais** | viv**Ă­ais** | | ellos / ellas / ustedes | cant**aban** | corr**Ă­an** | viv**Ă­an** |   And there are only three irregular verbs, a piece of cake! | **Pronoun** | **Ir** | **Ser** | **Ver** | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | yo | iba | era | veĂ­a | | tĂș | ibas | eras | veĂ­as | | Ă©l / ella / usted | iba | era | veĂ­a | | nosotros / nosotras | Ă­bamos | Ă©ramos | veĂ­amos | | vosotros / vosotras | Ă­bais | Ă©rais | veĂ­ais | | ellos / ellas / ustedes | iban | eran | veĂ­an |   Examples in action: 😄 I used to play football every day → *Yo jugaba al fĂștbol todos los dĂ­as* đŸ« I used to go to school by bus → *Yo iba al colegio en autobĂșs* 🎼 I used to do my homework in the afternoon → *Yo hacĂ­a mis deberes por la tarde* đŸ¶ I used to have a smaill dog → *Yo tenĂ­a un perro pequeño* The imperfect is **simple**, **natural**, and **safe** for talking about past routines. It’s your friend when describing actions that were part of your daily life! 🙌 ## ## ✹ Soler + infinitivo: habits in the present and in the past Ready for another cool way to say *used to*? Meet **soler**! đŸ„ł The verb **soler** means “to be in the habit of,” and it’s awesome for expressing regular actions or habits. It’s perfect for both **present** and **past** actions. Let's see both conjugations again: | **Pronoun** | ***Soler* in present** | ***Soler*** **in past** | | --- | --- | --- | | yo | suelo | solĂ­a | | tĂș | sueles | solĂ­as | | Ă©l / ella / usted | suele | solĂ­a | | nosotros / nosotras | solemos | solĂ­amos | | vosotros / vosotras | solĂ©is | solĂ­ais | | ellos / ellas / ustedes | suelen | solĂ­an |   **Present: I usually + verb.** When talking about things you **usually** do, **soler** is your go-to. 🌈 🍮I usually eat early → *Yo suelo comer temprano* đŸ‹đŸ» I usually go to the gym in the morning → *Yo suelo ir al gimnasio por la mañana* Past: I used to + infinitive. When you want to talk about past habits, **soler** + infinitive is***fantĂĄstico***! 🌟 📕I used to read before sleeping → *Yo solĂ­a leer antes de dormir* ✈ I used to travel a lot for work → *Yo solĂ­a viajar mucho por trabajo* So, what’s the difference between the imperfect tense and soler? Well, the imperfect is super flexible and common, but soler adds a bit more focus on habituality. It's like saying, "I was regularly doing this!" đŸ€“ ## 💬 Put into practice: ‘I used to do’, ‘I used to go’, ‘I used to play’, ‘I used to have’ Let’s put all that **imperfect** and **soler** knowledge to good use. Here are some examples with the most used verbs that you can try for yourself! đŸ€© **✹ I used to do sport every day** đŸ’Ș ***Yo hacĂ­a deporte todos los dĂ­as*** or ***Yo solĂ­a hacer deporte todos los dĂ­as*** ✹ I used to go to work by train 🚄*Yo iba al trabajo en tren* or *Yo solĂ­a ir al trabajo en tren* ✹ I used to play basketball in secondary school 🏀*Yo jugaba al baloncesto en el instituto* or *Yo solĂ­a jugar al baloncesto en el instituto* *✹* I used to have sheep on the farm 🐑*Yo tenĂ­a ovejas en la granja* or *Yo solĂ­a tener ovejas en la granja* ## 💡 Extra tip: ‘be used to’ vs ‘get used to’ (NOT the same!) In English, *be used to* and *get used to* sound quite similar to *used to*, but in Spanish, they are expressed in **very different ways** and have different meanings. Let’s clarify how to use them correctly! ✹ Be used to: *estar acostumbrado/a a* When we use **‘be used to’** in English, we’re talking about **being accustomed to** something — it’s about a state of being familiar or comfortable with something, no longer feeling strange or difficult. 😌 I'm used to waking up early → ***Estoy acostumbrado a levantarme temprano*** đŸ‹ïžâ€â™‚ïžShe is used to intense exercise → *Ella estĂĄ acostumbrada al ejercicio intenso* 📚We are used to studying at night →  ***Estamos acostumbrados a estudiar por la noche*** **✹ Get used to: *acostumbrarse a*** On the other hand, **‘get used to’** refers to the **process** of adapting or becoming accustomed to something, not the state. It’s the journey of getting familiar with a new situation or habit. 🌅 I am getting used to living in Spain → ***Me estoy acostumbrando a vivir en España*** 🎧 He got used to the Andalusian accent → Se acostumbrĂł al acento andaluz đŸ«The children are getting used to their new school → *Los niños se estĂĄn acostumbrando a su nuevo colegio* ### **🧠 Quick recap to avoid confusion** 👉 *used to* = **past habit** (imperfect tense or *soler*) 👉 *be used to* = **being accustomed to something** (*estar acostumbrado a...*) 👉 *get used to* = **getting accustomed to something, the process of adapting** (*acostumbrarse a...*) Now that we’ve cleared that up, understanding how to talk about habits and routines in Spanish will be a piece of cake! 😄 ## 🧠 Quiz time! 💬 🎯 Choose the correct option!  1\. How do you say "I used to play football every weekend" in Spanish? Yo jugaba al fĂștbol cada fin de semana. Yo suelo jugar al fĂștbol cada fin de semana. Yo jugarĂ© al fĂștbol cada fin de semana. Yo solĂ­a jugar al fĂștbol cada fin de semana. 2\. How do you say "I usually go to the gym in the mornings" in Spanish? Yo voy al gimnasio por la mañana. Yo suelo ir al gimnasio por la mañana. Yo irĂ­a al gimnasio por la mañana. Yo iba al gimnasio por la mañana. 3\. Can you use the verb soler in the future tense? Yes, soler can be used in the future tense to talk about future habits. No, soler is only used in the present and past tenses. Yes, but only for hypothetical situations. No, soler can't be used in the future. 4\. What does the imperfect tense describe in Spanish? Completed actions in the past. Habitual or ongoing actions in the past. Future possibilities. Actions in the present. 5\. How do you say "I am used to waking up early" in Spanish? Estoy acostumbrado a levantarme temprano. Me acostumbraba a levantarme temprano. Me acostumbro a levantarme temprano. Estoy acostumbrado a levantarse temprano. 6\. How do you say "He used to read a lot" in Spanish? Él leĂ­a mucho. Él solĂ­a leer mucho. Él leerĂ­a mucho. Él ha leĂ­do mucho. 8\. How do you say "They are getting used to their new school" in Spanish? Ellos estĂĄn acostumbrĂĄndose a su nueva escuela. Ellos se acostumbraron a su nueva escuela. Ellos se acostumbran a su nueva escuela. Ellos se acostumbraban a su nueva escuela. ✅ Check Answers   ## And you? ## 🧒 Write one sentence with the imperfect tense and one with soler + infinitivo. ## Let’s see what habits you had! 😄 [View full post](https://blog.soyguiri.com/used-to-in-spanish) ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Elena" }, "dateModified" : "2025-11-26T09:00:00.773Z", "datePublished" : "2025-11-26T09:00:00Z", "headline" : "đŸ€”Used to in Spanish: how to talk about past habits naturally đŸ‡Ș🇾", "image" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 4000, "url" : "https://144185739.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hubfs/144185739/mujer-que-trabaja-en-el-campo-de-los-medios-de-comunicacion-escribiendo-cosas-en-el-portatil.jpg", "width" : 6000 }, "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://blog.soyguiri.com/used-to-in-spanish", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 60, "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png", "width" : 60 }, "name" : "SoyGuiri Blog" } } ```