"used to be": Ser vs. Soler

Question

Are "ser" and "soler" interchangeable in these situations?

"She used to be an actress." = "Ella era una actriz" vs. "Ella solía ser una actriz".

"We used to be friends but now we're not." = "Éramos amigos pero ahora no" vs "Solíamos amigos pero ahora no".

"They used to be shy but now they're outgoing." = "Ellos eran tímidos pero ahora son extrovertidos" vs. "Ellos solían ser tímidos pero ahora son extrovertidos".

Are both translations in each of these situations correct? Is one more common than the other? ¡Gracias!

Answer 1

You can use both. Saying "era actriz" would be like saying it in the following context "back then she was an actress." You could also say "solía ser actriz" to mean "she used to be an actress." One thing to note with ser in this case is the use of the article "una" wouldn't be placed before the word "actriz."

With your other two examples I can see the argument to use imperfect, but they're a little different in that there exists a change that occurred and what used to be is no longer ongoing and is over. If I were speaking to someone using those sentences without thinking, I'd more naturally say "fuimos amigos pero ya no" and "fueron tímidos pero ya no." the reason being that being friends or timid is clearly something that ended.

But you can say things like "solía ser feliz" or things like that. Hope this helps

Well it helped me mate so thanks for that. - ray76, Dec 11, 2016

Answer 2

I wouldn't use the imperfect nor soler for the following example that you gave.

"She used to be an actress." To me, this would be "Ella fue una actriz." (She was an actress, but not anymore.) The imperfect can be used here, but it can, and more than likely will, give the meaning that "She was and may still be an actress." Although, this is for uncertainty. If you know that she for sure is an actress you would use the present tense.

I agree with bosquederoble and Julian. My two cents is that "soler" is "to usually do". I seldom use it in the past tense (not meaning that it can't be used in the past tense), but my conversations are usually progressive and when I talk about the past, I usually talk about habitual events or things that have ceased (imperfect and preterite respectively).

The other two seemed fine in the imperfect (because of the clauses that emphasize the opposite of the first quality). However, soler doesn't sound right to me. From what I know, soler is used with infinitive verbs following it. "Solíamos amigos pero ahora no", in my head, translates as "We usually friends, but now we not." There could be some correction needed here, but this is just the way I perceive it.

She is a woman , and therefore is and always will be an actress .Solo una broma, compañero - ray76, Dec 11, 2016

jaja! I love it, Ray. It didn't even cross my mind before I read your comment. - codyandrews1993, Dec 11, 2016

Answer 3

I agree with Bosquederoble. We can use ser for both action and stative verbs, but soler is normally used for just action verbs. For me it would sound strange to say: "Ella solía ser actriz", although this type of usage might be regional but I have never heard it.

Thank you, Julian. :) - bosquederoble, Dec 10, 2016

Answer 4

To me soler carries a sense of "was in the habit of", "usually did", that ser does not necessitate.

Solía nadar los lunes cuando era niño. I used to swim on Mondays when I was a boy. Maybe not every Monday but it was my habit- I usually did. But it was not a habit to be a boy, it was not something I did usually. I just was a boy.

Personally I would not have chosen soler in any of your examples, they are more continuous states that don't match what I think of when I hear soler.

That being said, I am a learner as well, so await other input or other thoughts on my opinion.

See also my answer on your iba vs. solía for a fuller discussion of what soler means.

Answer 5

http://www.elespectador.com/opinion/solia-ser-medico-ahora-no-se-soy-columna-456393

http://www.mercado.com.ar/notas/management/8022932/el-mba-ya-no-es--lo-que-sola-ser

Here are a couple of real life examples of using "solía ser..." in situations similar to what you're asking. In the first article the author says "solía ser médico" - "I used to be a doctor" used in the same way you wanted to say - "she used to be an actress" - "solía ser actriz"

The second article...actually written today, is written to say that an MBA isn't what it used to be - literally - no es lo que solía ser

The important thing to understand is that you can say most things in various ways, just like you can in English. Like Julian noted, the "norm" of how something is said can vary from place to place. Though in some places saying "solía ser" may not be the most typical way to say it, it's important to know that it is grammatically correct.

Here's a decent article with good info on soler

http://spanish.about.com/od/usingparticularverbs/a/soler.htm

Onya sport. - ray76, Dec 11, 2016