Qualifying Statements in Spanish: 'en general', 'mayormente', and 'soler'
Learn to soften and qualify opinions in Latin American Spanish with en general, mayormente, and the verb soler, so you can say things like 'I mostly agree' without overgeneralizing.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
Intermediate Spanish speakers often sound too absolute: 'Estoy de acuerdo' or 'Los mexicanos comen tacos' can feel blunt or stereotyped. This lesson teaches three common tools for qualifying statements: en general (in general), mayormente (mostly), and the verb soler (to tend to). You will learn where each expression goes in a sentence, how soler is conjugated, and when a qualifier makes you sound more precise rather than less confident. All examples use broadly useful Latin American Spanish, with regional notes where usage differs.
By the end, you can…
- qualify an opinion with en general, mayormente, or por lo general.
- use the verb soler to say what someone tends to do, with correct present-tense forms.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
En general, estoy de acuerdo.
In general, I agree.
en heh-neh-RAL, ehs-TOY deh a-KWER-doh
A neutral, slightly formal qualifier. It usually opens the sentence and softens a broad agreement.
Mayormente estoy de acuerdo.
I mostly agree.
ma-yor-MEN-teh ehs-TOY deh a-KWER-doh
Common in Latin American Spanish, especially Mexico and Central America. It means 'for the most part' and often precedes the verb.
Por lo general, llego temprano.
Generally, I arrive early.
por loh heh-neh-RAL, YEH-goh tem-PRAH-noh
A common alternative to en general. It describes a usual habit, not a rule that never changes.
Suelo tomar café por la mañana.
I tend to drink coffee in the morning.
SWEH-loh toh-MAR ka-FEH por lah MA-nya-nah
Soler plus infinitive expresses a habitual tendency. It is very common in everyday speech across Latin America.
No suelo decir eso, pero a veces sí.
I don't tend to say that, but sometimes I do.
noh SWEH-loh deh-SEER EH-soh, PEH-roh ah VEH-sehs SEE
The negative form no suelo + infinitive is useful for polite disagreement or self-description.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Place en general or por lo general at the start or end of a sentence: En general, me gusta el cine. / Me gusta el cine, en general. Mayormente usually goes before the verb or adjective: Mayormente trabajo en casa. The verb soler is followed by an infinitive and changes with the subject: suelo, sueles, suele, solemos, suelen. Example: Ella suele llegar tarde. Do not conjugate the second verb: say suelo comer, not suelo como.
When to use it
Use these qualifiers when a statement is true most of the time but has exceptions. En general and por lo general fit both speech and writing; mayormente is more conversational and very common in Mexico and Central America. Soler is ideal for habits: Suelo caminar al trabajo. In the past, soler appears only in the imperfect: solía estudiar de noche. Avoid using soler for one-time events; say ayer comí, not ayer solí comer. Note that soler has no preterite forms, so ayer solí comer is not just unnatural but grammatically nonexistent.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
¿Te gusta la comida picante?
Do you like spicy food?teh GOOS-tah lah koh-MEE-dah pee-KAN-tehEn general sí, pero mayormente como comida suave.
In general yes, but I mostly eat mild food.en heh-neh-RAL SEE, PEH-roh ma-yor-MEN-teh KOH-moh koh-MEE-dah SWAH-veh¿Y sueles cocinar en casa?
And do you tend to cook at home?ee SWEH-lehs koh-see-NAR en KAH-sahSuelo cocinar, pero los fines de semana salgo a comer.
I tend to cook, but on weekends I go out to eat.SWEH-loh koh-see-NAR, PEH-roh lohs FEE-nehs deh seh-MAH-nah SAL-goh ah koh-MERA little context goes a long way
In much of Latin America, mayormente and en general are common in polite conversation, while totalmente or siempre can sound absolute. In Spain, normalmente is often preferred where Latin Americans might say mayormente. Soler is standard in both regions, but in some Caribbean varieties it is less frequent in casual speech; speakers may use acostumbrar or simply the present tense instead. Note that acostumbrar a + infinitive is more common in Spain than in much of Latin America.
One thing to watch for
Learners often say 'Mayormente estoy de acuerdo' for every situation and treat it as a direct translation of 'mostly' in all contexts, or they conjugate the verb after soler: 'suelo como'.
Try this instead: Use mayormente mainly before verbs or adjectives, and remember soler is followed by an infinitive: Suelo comer a las dos. For a more neutral option, say En general, estoy de acuerdo. In Spain, normalmente estoy de acuerdo is also natural.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Translate: 'We tend to arrive late.'
Show a sample answer
Solemos llegar tarde.
Soler is conjugated for nosotros (solemos) and followed by the infinitive llegar. 'Llegamos tarde' is also correct if you mean a simple present habit without the 'tend to' nuance.
2Make this less absolute: 'Estoy de acuerdo.'
Show a sample answer
En general, estoy de acuerdo. / Mayormente estoy de acuerdo.
Both qualifiers soften the statement. En general is neutral and can open the sentence; mayormente is common in Latin American Spanish and usually goes before the verb.
3Choose the correct form: 'Ella ___ trabajar los sábados.' (soler)
Show a sample answer
suele
The third-person singular form of soler is suele. The sentence means 'She tends to work on Saturdays.' 'Trabaja' would be correct only if you drop soler entirely.
Use en general and por lo general to frame broad statements, mayormente to mean 'for the most part,' and soler + infinitive to describe habits. These qualifiers make your Spanish more precise and less absolute.
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