preferir Present Conjugation
preferir — to prefer
Preferir is an e-to-ie stem-changer in the present tense (yo prefiero, tú prefieres).
preferir Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use the present tense to talk about your current tastes, preferences, or choices you make regularly.
Notes on preferir in the Present
This is a stem-changing verb where the 'e' changes to 'ie' in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
Example Sentences
Prefiero el café sin azúcar.
I prefer coffee without sugar.
yo
¿Prefieres ir al cine o al teatro?
Do you prefer going to the movies or the theater?
tú
Nosotros preferimos comer en casa hoy.
We prefer to eat at home today.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'prefero' instead of 'prefiero'.
Correct: The correct form is prefiero.
Why: The verb undergoes an e-to-ie stem change in the present tense.
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Related Tenses
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).
Conditional
yo: preferiría
The conditional is regular and uses the infinitive: preferiría, preferirías, etc.
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).