preferir Conditional Conjugation
preferir — to prefer
The conditional is regular and uses the infinitive: preferiría, preferirías, etc.
preferir Conditional Forms
When to Use the Conditional
Use this to express what you 'would prefer' in a hypothetical situation or to be polite.
Notes on preferir in the Conditional
No stem changes here; the conditional always uses the infinitive 'preferir' as the base.
Example Sentences
Preferiría no ir a esa fiesta.
I would prefer not to go to that party.
yo
¿Preferirías un té o un café?
Would you prefer a tea or a coffee?
tú
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'prefiero' for polite requests.
Correct: Use 'preferiría' (I would prefer).
Why: The conditional is much softer and more polite than the present tense.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: prefiero
Preferir is an e-to-ie stem-changer in the present tense (yo prefiero, tú prefieres).
Preterite
yo: preferí
Preferir has a small 'e' to 'i' stem change only in the third-person forms (él prefirió, ellos prefirieron).
Imperfect
yo: prefería
Preferir is completely regular in the imperfect: prefería, preferías, prefería...
Future
yo: preferiré
The future tense is regular: just add endings to the infinitive (preferiré, preferirás).
Present Subjunctive
yo: prefiera
The present subjunctive changes 'e' to 'ie' in most forms, but 'e' to 'i' in nosotros and vosotros.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: prefiriera
The imperfect subjunctive uses the 'prefir-' stem (prefiriera, prefirieras).
Affirmative Imperative
yo: prefiere
The imperative uses 'prefiere' for tú and 'prefiera' for formal commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no prefieras
Negative commands always use the present subjunctive forms (no prefieras, no prefiera).