Meaning
to be used to
- to be accustomed to do
- to usually do
In a sentence
Solevo andare a piedi al lavoro ogni mattina.
I used to walk to work every morning.
Soleva cenare molto tardi.
He used to have dinner very late.
Non solevo bere caffè la sera.
I didn't use to drink coffee in the evening.
Word forms (33)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| solere | infinitive |
| sogliamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| soglio | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| solete | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| suoli | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| sogliono | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| suole | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| solevamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| solevo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| solevate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| solevi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| solevano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| soleva | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| solemmo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| solei | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| soleste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| solesti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| solerono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| solé | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| sogliamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| soglia | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| sogliate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| soglia | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| sogliano | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| soglia | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| solessimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| solessi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| soleste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| solessi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| solessero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| solesse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| solendo | gerund |
| solito | past · participle |
Usage notes
- Mostly literary or formal. In everyday Italian, use di solito, essere abituato a, or the imperfect instead.
- Usually appears as soleva/solevano in past contexts; present forms exist but sound old-fashioned or bureaucratic.
- It is followed by an infinitive: soleva dire, solevano andare. Do not use che + clause after it.
- present: soglio, suoli, suole, sogliamo, solete, sogliono
- past participle solito