Soltar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb soltar means to let go, to release, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Soltar means to let go of something you are holding, or to release it: soltar la cuerda, soltar a su perro. It also means to let out a laugh or a remark: soltar una carcajada. Like every Spanish verb, soltar changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say Yo suelto la cuerda de repente — "I let go the rope suddenly". Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.

The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: suelto, sueltas, suelta and sueltan — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: soltamos, soltáis.

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: soltar
  • English: to let go, to release
  • Verb type: stem-changing -ar verb (o → ue)
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: soltando
  • Past participle: soltado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + soltado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for soltar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for soltar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem.

Present indicative

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | suelto | | tú | sueltas | | él/ella/Ud. | suelta | | nosotros/as | soltamos | | vosotros/as | soltáis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | sueltan |

Preterite

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | solté | | tú | soltaste | | él/ella/Ud. | soltó | | nosotros/as | soltamos | | vosotros/as | soltasteis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | soltaron |

Imperfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | soltaba | | tú | soltabas | | él/ella/Ud. | soltaba | | nosotros/as | soltábamos | | vosotros/as | soltabais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | soltaban |

Future

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | soltaré | | tú | soltarás | | él/ella/Ud. | soltará | | nosotros/as | soltaremos | | vosotros/as | soltaréis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | soltarán |

Conditional

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | soltaría | | tú | soltarías | | él/ella/Ud. | soltaría | | nosotros/as | soltaríamos | | vosotros/as | soltaríais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | soltarían |

Present perfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | he soltado | | tú | has soltado | | él/ella/Ud. | ha soltado | | nosotros/as | hemos soltado | | vosotros/as | habéis soltado | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | han soltado |

Pluperfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | había soltado | | tú | habías soltado | | él/ella/Ud. | había soltado | | nosotros/as | habíamos soltado | | vosotros/as | habíais soltado | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían soltado |

Future perfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | habré soltado | | tú | habrás soltado | | él/ella/Ud. | habrá soltado | | nosotros/as | habremos soltado | | vosotros/as | habréis soltado | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán soltado |

Conditional perfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | habría soltado | | tú | habrías soltado | | él/ella/Ud. | habría soltado | | nosotros/as | habríamos soltado | | vosotros/as | habríais soltado | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían soltado |

Present subjunctive

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | suelte | | tú | sueltes | | él/ella/Ud. | suelte | | nosotros/as | soltemos | | vosotros/as | soltéis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | suelten |

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | soltara | | tú | soltaras | | él/ella/Ud. | soltara | | nosotros/as | soltáramos | | vosotros/as | soltarais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | soltaran |

Imperative (affirmative)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | tú | suelta | | él/ella/Ud. | suelte | | nosotros/as | soltemos | | vosotros/as | soltad | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | suelten |

Imperative (negative)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | tú | sueltes | | él/ella/Ud. | suelte | | nosotros/as | soltemos | | vosotros/as | soltéis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | suelten |

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund soltando with estar for the progressive: está soltando
Past participle soltado with haber for the perfect tenses: he soltado

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: suelto, sueltas, suelta and sueltan — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: soltamos, soltáis. For soltar, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo suelto la cuerda de repente — "I let go the rope suddenly".

Preterite

Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For soltar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, yo solté el globo en el parque — "Yesterday, I let go the balloon in the park".

Imperfect

Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For soltar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, yo soltaba una carcajada en clase — "As a child, I used to let go a burst of laughter in class".

Future

Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For soltar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, yo soltaré el freno de mano — "Tomorrow, I will let go the handbrake".

Conditional

Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For soltar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo soltaría la cuerda de repente si pudiera — "I would let go the rope suddenly if I could".

Present perfect

Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For soltar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, yo he soltado el globo en el parque — "Today, I have let go the balloon in the park".

Pluperfect

Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For soltar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo ya había soltado una carcajada en clase antes de salir — "I already had let go a burst of laughter in class before leaving".

Future perfect

Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For soltar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, yo habré soltado el freno de mano — "By tomorrow, I will have let go the handbrake".

Conditional perfect

Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For soltar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría soltado la cuerda de repente con más tiempo — "I would have let go the rope suddenly with more time".

Present subjunctive

Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: suelto, sueltas, suelta and sueltan — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: soltamos, soltáis. For soltar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él suelte el globo en el parque — "I hope he lets go the balloon in the park".

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past. The -ra forms are shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For soltar, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo soltara una carcajada en clase, todo cambiaría — "If I let go a burst of laughter in class, everything would change".

Imperative (affirmative)

Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: suelto, sueltas, suelta and sueltan — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: soltamos, soltáis. For soltar, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Suelta el freno de mano. — "Let go the handbrake.".

Imperative (negative)

Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: suelto, sueltas, suelta and sueltan — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: soltamos, soltáis. For soltar, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No sueltes la cuerda de repente. — "Do not let go the rope suddenly.".

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with soltar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Yo suelto la cuerda de repente — "I let go the rope suddenly"
  2. Mi amigo suelta el globo en el parque — "My friend lets go the balloon in the park"
  3. Ayer, yo solté una carcajada en clase — "Yesterday, I let go a burst of laughter in class"
  4. Antes, nosotros soltábamos el freno de mano — "Before, we used to let go the handbrake"
  5. Mañana, tú soltarás a su perro en el campo — "Tomorrow, you will let go his dog in the field"
  6. Yo soltaría la cuerda de repente si tuviera más tiempo — "I would let go the rope suddenly if I had more time"
  7. Él ha soltado el globo en el parque — "He has let go the balloon in the park"
  8. Espero que él suelte una carcajada en clase — "I hope he lets go a burst of laughter in class"
  9. Yo ya había soltado el freno de mano antes de salir — "I already had let go the handbrake before leaving"
  10. Ellos soltaban a su perro en el campo cuando eran jóvenes — "They used to let go his dog in the field when they were young"

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo solto el globo en el parque. — Right: Yo suelto el globo en el parque. — soltar is a stem-changing verb (o → ue): the stem vowel changes in the stressed present forms, so the yo form is suelto, not solto.
  2. Wrong: Espero que él suelta el globo en el parque — Right: Espero que él suelte el globo en el parque — After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: Espero que él suelte el globo en el parque — not the indicative Espero que él suelta el globo en el parque.
  3. Wrong: Ayer, yo suelto una carcajada en clase — Right: Ayer, yo solté una carcajada en clase — Ayer points to a finished action in the past, so it needs the preterite: Ayer, yo solté una carcajada en clase.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo solté el freno de mano todos los días — Right: De niño, yo soltaba el freno de mano todos los días — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect, not the preterite: De niño, yo soltaba el freno de mano todos los días.
  5. Wrong: Yo suelto en la cuerda de repente. — Right: Yo suelto la cuerda de repente. — soltar takes this complement directly, with no preposition: Yo suelto la cuerda de repente.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on soltar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ la cuerda de repente — "I let go the rope suddenly" (present) A. sueltas B. suelta C. soltamos D. suelto

  2. Complete the sentence: Él ______ el globo en el parque — "He let go the balloon in the park" (preterite) A. solté B. soltaste C. soltamos D. soltó

  3. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ una carcajada en clase — "We used to let go a burst of laughter in class" (imperfect) A. soltaba B. soltabas C. soltabais D. soltábamos

  4. Complete the sentence: Tú ______ el freno de mano — "You will let go the handbrake" (future) A. soltaré B. soltará C. soltaremos D. soltarás

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ a su perro en el campo — "I would let go his dog in the field" (conditional) A. soltaríamos B. soltaríais C. soltaría D. soltarías

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ______ la cuerda de repente — "I hope he lets go the rope suddenly" (present subjunctive) A. sueltes B. soltemos C. soltéis D. suelte

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ______ el globo en el parque, todo cambiaría — "If I let go the balloon in the park, everything would change" (imperfect subjunctive) A. soltaras B. soltáramos C. soltarais D. soltara

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ una carcajada en clase — "We have let go a burst of laughter in class" (present perfect) A. hemos soltado B. he soltado C. has soltado D. ha soltado

  9. Complete the sentence: No ______ el freno de mano. — "Do not let go the handbrake." (negative imperative) A. suelte B. soltemos C. soltéis D. sueltes

  10. Which is the gerund of soltar, used with estar for the progressive? A. solté B. soltando C. soltado D. suelto

Answer key

  1. suelto — The present form for yo is suelto.
  2. soltó — The preterite form for él/ella/Ud. is soltó.
  3. soltábamos — The imperfect form for nosotros/as is soltábamos.
  4. soltarás — The future form for tú is soltarás.
  5. soltaría — The conditional form for yo is soltaría.
  6. suelte — The present subjunctive form for él/ella/Ud. is suelte.
  7. soltara — The imperfect subjunctive form for yo is soltara.
  8. hemos soltado — The present perfect form for nosotros/as is hemos soltado.
  9. sueltes — The negative imperative form is sueltes.
  10. soltando — The gerund of soltar is soltando: estoy soltando. The participle soltado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does soltar mean in English?

soltar means to let go, to release. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo suelto la cuerda de repente — "I let go the rope suddenly". The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is soltar regular?

No. soltar is a stem-changing -ar verb (o → ue). The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: suelto, sueltas, suelta and sueltan — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: soltamos, soltáis. The nosotros and vosotros forms keep the plain stem, which is the part learners most often get right by accident.

What is the gerund and the past participle of soltar?

The gerund is soltando and the past participle is soltado. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.

How do I say "I let go" in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Ayer, yo solté el globo en el parque — "Yesterday, I let go the balloon in the park". For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: De niño, yo soltaba una carcajada en clase — "As a child, I used to let go a burst of laughter in class". For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Hoy, yo he soltado el globo en el parque — "Today, I have let go the balloon in the park".

What is the difference between soltar and dejar?

Dejar is the general verb for leaving or letting. Soltar is the physical act of letting go of something held, or letting out a sound. Soltar means to let go of something you are holding, or to release it: soltar la cuerda, soltar a su perro. It also means to let out a laugh or a remark: soltar una carcajada.

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