The verb preferir means to prefer. The two words are cognates, which means that their sound is similar and they have the same meaning, since they both come from the same Latin verb. Therefore, they are used in similar contexts. Whenever you would say that you would prefer something or that you would rather something in English, you can use the verb preferir in Spanish.
When talking about preferring to do something, the verb preferir in Spanish is followed by an infinitive verb, as in Prefiero comer en casa (I prefer to eat at home). However, preferir can also be followed by a noun, when talking about preferring one thing over another. For example, you can say Prefiero el frío que el calor (I prefer the cold over the heat).
Preferir Conjugation
The conjugation of preferir is irregular, because it is a stem-changing verb. This means that whenever the second e in the stem of the verb is found in a stressed syllable, it changes to another vowel. With preferir you have to be extra careful, because it changes sometimes to ie and sometimes to just i. For example, the first person present tense conjugation of preferir is prefiero, and the third person preterite conjugation of preferir is prefirió.
This article includes conjugations of preferir in the indicative mood (present, past, conditional, future), the subjunctive mood (present and past), the imperative mood, and other verb forms.
Present Indicative
Notice that in the present indicative tense, the stem change e to ie occurs in all the conjugations except nosotros and vosotros.
| Yo | prefiero | Yo prefiero estudiar sola. | I prefer to study alone. |
| Tú | prefieres | Tú prefieres el frío que el calor. | You prefer the cold over the heat. |
| Usted/él/ella | prefiere | Ella prefiere viajar en bus. | She prefers to travel by bus. |
| Nosotros | preferimos | Nosotros preferimos la comida china. | We prefer Chinese food. |
| Vosotros | preferís | Vosotros preferís el instructor anterior. | You prefer the previous instructor. |
| Ustedes/ellos/ellas | prefieren | Ellos prefieren no salir de noche. | They prefer not to go out at night. |
Preterite Indicative
In Spanish there are two forms of the past tense: the preterite and the imperfect. The preterite is used to talk about completed actions in the past. Notice that the stem changes from e to i (not ie) in the third person conjugations (él/ella/usted, ellos/ellas/ustedes) of the preterite tense.
| Yo | preferí | Yo preferí estudiar sola. | I preferred to study alone. |
| Tú | preferiste | Tú preferiste el frío que el calor. | You preferred the cold over the heat. |
| Usted/él/ella | prefirió | Ella prefirió viajar en bus. | She preferred to travel by bus. |
| Nosotros | preferimos | Nosotros preferimos la comida china. | We preferred Chinese food. |
| Vosotros | preferisteis | Vosotros preferisteis el instructor anterior. | You preferred the previous instructor. |
| Ustedes/ellos/ellas | prefirieron | Ellos prefirieron no salir de noche. | They preferred not to go out at night. |
Imperfect Indicative
The other past tense in Spanish is the imperfect tense, which is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. Preferir in the imperfect is usually translated to English as “used to prefer.” Also, notice that there are no stem changes in the imperfect tense.
| Yo | prefería | Yo prefería estudiar sola. | I used to prefer to study alone. |
| Tú | preferías | Tú preferías el frío que el calor. | You used to prefer the cold over the heat. |
| Usted/él/ella | prefería | Ella prefería viajar en bus. | She used to prefer to travel by bus. |
| Nosotros | preferíamos | Nosotros preferíamos la comida china. | We used to prefer Chinese food. |
| Vosotros | preferíais | Vosotros preferíais el instructor anterior. | You used to prefer the previous instructor. |
| Ustedes/ellos/ellas | preferían | Ellos preferían no salir de noche. | They used to prefer not to go out at night. |
Future Indicative
To conjugate the future tense, start with the infinitive form and add the future tense endings.
| Yo | preferiré | Yo preferiré estudiar sola. | I will prefer to study alone. |
| Tú | preferirás | Tú preferirás el frío que el calor. | You will prefer the cold over the heat. |
| Usted/él/ella | preferirá | Ella preferirá viajar en bus. | She will prefer to travel by bus. |
| Nosotros | preferiremos | Nosotros preferiremos la comida china. | We will prefer Chinese food. |
| Vosotros | preferiréis | Vosotros preferiréis el instructor anterior. | You will prefer the previous instructor. |
| Ustedes/ellos/ellas | preferirán | Ellos preferirán no salir de noche. | They will prefer not to go out at night. |
Periphrastic Future Indicative
| Yo | voy a preferir | Yo voy a preferir estudiar sola. | I am going to prefer to study alone. |
| Tú | vas a preferir | Tú vas a preferir el frío que el calor. | You are going to prefer the cold over the heat. |
| Usted/él/ella | va a preferir | Ella va a preferir viajar en bus. | She is going to prefer to travel by bus. |
| Nosotros | vamos a preferir | Nosotros vamos a preferir la comida china. | We are going to prefer Chinese food. |
| Vosotros | vais a preferir | Vosotros vais a preferir el instructor anterior. | You are going to prefer the previous instructor. |
| Ustedes/ellos/ellas | van a preferir | Ellos van a preferir no salir de noche. | They are going to prefer not to go out at night. |
Present Progressive/Gerund Form
The progressive tenses are usually formed with the verb estar followed by the present participle or gerund, prefiriendo. Notice that in the gerund, the stem changes from e to i (and not to ie). However, the verb preferir is not often used in the present progressive form, since to prefer is usually not an ongoing action.
| Present Progressive of Preferir | está prefiriendo | Ella está prefiriendo viajar en bus. | She is preferring to travel by bus. |
Past Participle
To conjugate perfect tenses like the present perfect, you need the auxiliary verb haber and the past participle, preferido.
| Present Perfect of Preferir | ha preferido | Ella ha preferido viajar en bus. | She has preferred to travel by bus. |
Conditional Indicative
Like the future tense, the conditional tense is conjugated by starting with the infinitive form and adding the conditional endings.
| Yo | preferiría | Yo preferiría estudiar sola. | I would prefer to study alone. |
| Tú | preferirías | Tú preferirías el frío que el calor. | You would prefer the cold over the heat. |
| Usted/él/ella | preferiría | Ella preferiría viajar en bus. | She would prefer to travel by bus. |
| Nosotros | preferiríamos | Nosotros preferiríamos la comida china. | We would prefer Chinese food. |
| Vosotros | preferiríais | Vosotros preferiríais el instructor anterior. | You would prefer the previous instructor. |
| Ustedes/ellos/ellas | preferirían | Ellos preferirían no salir de noche. | They would prefer not to go out at night. |
Present Subjunctive
Notice that the present subjunctive has the stem change e to ie in all of the conjugations except nosotros and vosotros, just like in the present indicative tense. However, the nosotros and vosotros conjugations also have a stem change, but simply from e to i.
| Que yo | prefiera | El profesor recomienda que yo prefiera estudiar sola. | The professor recommends that I prefer to study alone. |
| Que tú | prefieras | Tu padre espera que tú prefieras el frío que el calor. | Your father hopes that you prefer the cold over the heat. |
| Que usted/él/ella | prefiera | El conductor espera que ella prefiera viajar en bus. | The driver hopes that she prefer to travel by bus. |
| Que nosotros | prefiramos | Nuestros abuelos esperan que nosotros prefiramos la comida china. | Our grandparents hope that we prefer Chinese food. |
| Que vosotros | prefiráis | Perla espera que vosotros prefiráis el instructor anterior. | Perla hopes that you prefer the previous instructor. |
| Que ustedes/ellos/ellas | prefieran | Sus padres esperan que ustedes prefieran no salir de noche. | Your parents hope that you prefer not to go out at night. |
Imperfect Subjunctive
There are two options for conjugating the imperfect subjunctive. Notice that both options have the stem change e to i.
Option 1
| Que yo | prefiriera | El profesor recomendaba que yo prefiriera estudiar sola. | The professor recommended that I prefer to study alone. |
| Que tú | prefirieras | Tu padre esperaba que tú prefirieras el frío que el calor. | Your father hoped that you prefer the cold over the heat. |
| Que usted/él/ella | prefiriera | El conductor esperaba que ella prefiriera viajar en bus. | The driver hoped that she prefer to travel by bus. |
| Que nosotros | prefiriéramos | Nuestros abuelos esperaban que nosotros prefiriéramos la comida china. | Our grandparents hoped that we prefer Chinese food. |
| Que vosotros | prefirierais | Perla esperaba que vosotros prefirierais el instructor anterior. | Perla hoped that you prefer the previous instructor. |
| Que ustedes/ellos/ellas | prefirieran | Sus padres esperaban que ustedes prefirieran no salir de noche. | Your parents hoped that you prefer not to go out at night. |
Option 2
| Que yo | prefiriese | El profesor recomendaba que yo prefiriese estudiar sola. | The professor recommended that I prefer to study alone. |
| Que tú | prefirieses | Tu padre esperaba que tú prefirieses el frío que el calor. | Your father hoped that you prefer the cold over the heat. |
| Que usted/él/ella | prefiriese | El conductor esperaba que ella prefiriese viajar en bus. | The driver hoped that she prefer to travel by bus. |
| Que nosotros | prefiriésemos | Nuestros abuelos esperaban que nosotros prefiriésemos la comida china. | Our grandparents hoped that we prefer Chinese food. |
| Que vosotros | prefirieseis | Perla esperaba que vosotros prefirieseis el instructor anterior. | Perla hoped that you prefer the previous instructor. |
| Que ustedes/ellos/ellas | prefiriesen | Sus padres esperaban que ustedes prefiriesen no salir de noche. | Your parents hoped that you prefer not to go out at night. |
Imperative
To give orders or commands you need the imperative mood. However, for the verb preferir, the commands might sound somewhat awkward, since it is not common to command someone to prefer something. Also, notice that all the commands have the stem change e to either ie or i.
Positive Commands
| Tú | prefiere | ¡Prefiere el frío que el calor! | Prefer the cold over the heat! |
| Usted | prefiera | ¡Prefiera viajar en bus! | Prefer to travel by bus! |
| Nosotros | prefiramos | ¡Prefiramos la comida china! | Let’s prefer Chinese food! |
| Vosotros | preferid | ¡Preferid al instructor anterior! | Prefer the previous instructor! |
| Ustedes | prefieran | ¡Prefieran no salir de noche! | Prefer not to go out a night! |
Negative Commands
| Tú | no prefieras | ¡No prefieras el frío que el calor! | Don’t prefer the cold over the heat! |
| Usted | no prefiera | ¡No prefiera viajar en bus! | Don’t prefer to travel by bus! |
| Nosotros | no prefiramos | ¡No prefiramos la comida china! | Let’s not prefer Chinese food! |
| Vosotros | no prefiráis | ¡No prefiráis al instructor anterior! | Don’t prefer the previous instructor! |
| Ustedes | no prefieran | ¡No prefieran no salir de noche! | Don’t prefer not to go out a night! |