preferirConjugation
preferir means to prefer.
Complete Conjugation Tables
Reference all tenses and moods
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
The present subjunctive changes 'e' to 'ie' in most forms, but 'e' to 'i' in nosotros and vosotros.
Imperfect Subjunctive
The imperfect subjunctive uses the 'prefir-' stem (prefiriera, prefirieras).
Imperative
Imperative
The imperative uses 'prefiere' for tú and 'prefiera' for formal commands.
Negative Imperative
Negative commands always use the present subjunctive forms (no prefieras, no prefiera).
Indicative
Present
Preferir is an e-to-ie stem-changer in the present tense (yo prefiero, tú prefieres).
Preterite
Preferir has a small 'e' to 'i' stem change only in the third-person forms (él prefirió, ellos prefirieron).
Future
The future tense is regular: just add endings to the infinitive (preferiré, preferirás).
Imperfect
Preferir is completely regular in the imperfect: prefería, preferías, prefería...
Conditional
The conditional is regular and uses the infinitive: preferiría, preferirías, etc.
Practice Conjugations
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does preferir mean in Spanish?
preferir means "to prefer".
Is preferir a regular or irregular verb?
preferir is a irregular (stem-changing) -ir verb in Spanish.
How do you conjugate preferir in the present tense?
The present tense of preferir is: yo prefiero, tú prefieres, él/ella/usted prefiere, nosotros preferimos, vosotros preferís, ellos/ellas/ustedes prefieren.
How do you conjugate preferir in the preterite (past tense)?
The preterite of preferir is: yo preferí, tú preferiste, él/ella/usted prefirió, nosotros preferimos, vosotros preferisteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes prefirieron.
preferir conjugation cheat sheet
