Acabar de, volver a, soler
A2Grammar path · Lesson 38 of 86 · Stage A2 · Commands and the future
These three verb phrases let you talk about when and how often something happens without extra adverbs. acabar de + infinitive means 'have just', volver a + infinitive means 'do again', and soler + infinitive means 'usually'. You conjugate only the first verb, and the second always stays in the infinitive: acabo de llegar, vuelvo a llamar, suelo leer. Learners often mix up acabar de with acabar on its own. Acabé el libro means 'I finished the book', while acabo de leer means 'I have just read'.
Practise this lesson · 9 sentences
Form
sujeto + acabar de / volver a / soler + infinitivosujeto + no + acabar de / volver a / soler + infinitivo¿acabar de / volver a / soler + infinitivo + ...?When to use it
Something that has just happened
Use acabar de in the present to say something happened a very short time ago.
Doing something again
volver a + infinitive shows an action is repeated, replacing 'otra vez'.
Habits now and in the past
soler is used only in the present and the imperfect. solía works like 'used to'.
Three verb phrases + infinitive
Signal words
Frequently asked questions
How is acabar de different from terminar?
acabar de + infinitive means 'have just'. terminar or terminar de means 'finish': terminé de comer is 'I finished eating'.
Can I use soler in the future?
No. soler is almost only used in the present (suelo) and the imperfect (solía). For the future, use normalmente.
Do volver a and otra vez mean the same?
Yes, both mean 'again'. In many situations, though, vuelvo a llamar sounds more natural than llamo otra vez.
Where do pronouns go with acabar de?
Two options: put it before the conjugated verb (lo acabo de ver) or attach it to the infinitive (acabo de verlo).
How do I say 'had just'?
Use acababa de + infinitive: acababa de salir cuando llamaste.