Solía nadar y Nadaba

Question

¿Hay alguna diferencia entre Solía nadar y Nadaba?

Welcome to the forum. =) - NikkiLR, Mar 6, 2012

Answer 1

Cuando era joven nadaba mucho, pero Cuando era joven solía nadar todos los sábados. That is how I prefer to use imperfecto and soler + infinitive. When I was young I swam a lot. When I was young I habitually swam every saturday. and that is how the verb soler is used be it past or present.

Ken - that is truly a great explanation for the difference between these forms... gracias! - t8805jg, Jul 11, 2012

Answer 2

Solía nadar = I used to swim.

• Nadaba = I swam.

Thank you farallon7 - livas2010, Mar 5, 2012

But can't the imperfect be used for things you "used" to do? Or like something that was habitual? "I always used to swim" - "Siempre nadaba" ? - NikkiLR, Mar 5, 2012

My pleasure livas! - farallon7, Mar 5, 2012

I always used to swim = Siempre solía nadar. Solía is pretty much poetic, like in books or love letters, it is reminiscing language. - farallon7, Mar 5, 2012

Well, I know you can use "soler" but the imperfect as well... they imply the same thing I mean. - NikkiLR, Mar 5, 2012

Yes they do imply the same thing! It is just a different way to say/write it! - farallon7, Mar 5, 2012

Yes... I used to pick "soler" when write poetry... =) I am not sure, but perhaps could this be a regional preference as well? - NikkiLR, Mar 6, 2012

Answer 3

Katy, solía is definitely used in a reminiscing way. It has nostalgic feeling, it is sentimental, poetic.

Answer 4

To help my English speaking brain understand the difference I think of it as:

solía + infinitive verb - a sort of "back in the old days" verb use.

Solía nadar tres millas cuando era una niña. (I used to swim 3 miles when I was a girl).

nadar in the imperfecto de indicativo - It's in the past but the nearer past (although it can be the far past too) and as Paralee says in the learning video, "It sets the scene".

I was swimming when a dog barked.

Nadaba cuando un perro ladró.

(I'm always open to corrections)