Common Spanish Verb Periphrases
Learn common Spanish verb periphrases with soler, empezar, comenzar, terminar, and seguir to talk about habits and stages of actions.
Common Spanish Verb Periphrases
Spanish often combines a conjugated verb with an infinitive or gerund to express habits or different stages of an action.
At A2 level, some of the most useful patterns are:
- soler + infinitive — usually do something
- empezar a + infinitive — start doing something
- comenzar a + infinitive — begin doing something
- terminar de + infinitive — finish doing something
- seguir + gerund — keep / continue doing something
Soler + infinitive
Soler + infinitive is used for habits and things that usually happen.
- Suelo desayunar a las ocho. — I usually have breakfast at eight.
- Solemos ir al cine los viernes. — We usually go to the cinema on Fridays.
- Mi madre suele llamar por la noche. — My mother usually calls at night.
At A2 level, you will most often see soler in the present tense.
| Person | Soler |
|---|---|
| yo | suelo |
| tú | sueles |
| él / ella / usted | suele |
| nosotros/as | solemos |
| vosotros/as | soléis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | suelen |
| The structure is: |
soler + infinitive
- suelo estudiar
- suele trabajar
- solemos comer
Do not conjugate the second verb.
- ❌ Suelo estudio por la tarde.
- ✅ Suelo estudiar por la tarde.
Empezar a + infinitive
Empezar a + infinitive means “to start doing something.”
- Empiezo a trabajar a las nueve. — I start working at nine.
- Empezó a llover. — It started to rain.
- Vamos a empezar a estudiar español. — We are going to start studying Spanish.
The structure is:
empezar a + infinitive
Remember the preposition a.
- ✅ Empiezo a cocinar.
- ❌ Empiezo cocinar.
Comenzar a + infinitive
Comenzar a + infinitive also means “to begin doing something.”
- La película comienza a las ocho. — The movie begins at eight.
- Comenzó a estudiar español el año pasado. — She began studying Spanish last year.
- Los niños comenzaron a correr. — The children began to run.
When followed by another action, use:
comenzar a + infinitive
In many situations, empezar a and comenzar a mean the same thing.
- Empezó a hablar.
- Comenzó a hablar.
Both mean “He / She started speaking.”
Empezar is especially common in everyday conversation.
Terminar de + infinitive
Terminar de + infinitive means “to finish doing something.”
- Termino de trabajar a las seis. — I finish working at six.
- Terminamos de cenar a las diez. — We finish having dinner at ten.
- Ya terminé de leer el libro. — I already finished reading the book.
The structure is:
terminar de + infinitive
Do not confuse it with terminar + noun:
- Terminé el trabajo. — I finished the work.
- Terminé de trabajar. — I finished working.
Seguir + gerund
Seguir + gerund means “to keep doing” or “to continue doing.”
- Sigo estudiando español. — I am still studying Spanish.
- Sigue lloviendo. — It is still raining.
- Seguimos esperando el autobús. — We are still waiting for the bus.
The structure is:
seguir + gerund
- seguir hablando
- seguir trabajando
- seguir aprendiendo
Here, the second verb is not an infinitive. It uses the gerund:
- hablar → hablando
- comer → comiendo
- vivir → viviendo
See also Spanish Gerund and Present Progressive.
Comparing the stages of an action
These expressions are useful because they show where you are in an action.
| Structure | Meaning |
|---|---|
| empezar a + infinitive | start doing |
| comenzar a + infinitive | begin doing |
| seguir + gerund | continue doing |
| terminar de + infinitive | finish doing |
| For example: |
- Empiezo a estudiar a las seis. — I start studying at six.
- Sigo estudiando a las siete. — I am still studying at seven.
- Termino de estudiar a las ocho. — I finish studying at eight.
Soler vs. normalmente
Both can express a habit.
- Suelo desayunar en casa.
- Normalmente desayuno en casa.
Both mean “I usually have breakfast at home.”
The difference is grammatical:
- soler + infinitive
- normalmente + conjugated verb
See also Spanish Adverbs Ending in -mente.
Common mistakes
Watch the prepositions and verb forms:
- ❌ Empiezo estudiar.
- ✅ Empiezo a estudiar.
- ❌ Termino a trabajar.
- ✅ Termino de trabajar.
- ❌ Sigo estudiar.
- ✅ Sigo estudiando__.
- ❌ Suelo estudio.
- ✅ Suelo estudiar__.
Quick rule
Remember these patterns as complete units:
soler + infinitive → usually doempezar a + infinitive → start doingcomenzar a + infinitive → begin doingseguir + gerund → keep doingterminar de + infinitive → finish doing