Inklingo

prefieres

preh-FYEH-rehs/pɾeˈfje.ɾes/

prefieres means you prefer in Spanish (informal singular statement).

you prefer, do you prefer

Also: you like better
VerbA1irregular (stem-changing e > ie) ir
A cartoon child stands smiling, holding a bright red apple in one hand while looking past a bright yellow banana, clearly indicating the chosen item.
infinitivepreferir
gerundprefiriendo
past Participlepreferido

📝 In Action

¿Qué prefieres, café o té?

A1

What do you prefer, coffee or tea?

Si prefieres quedarte en casa, está bien.

A2

If you prefer to stay at home, that's fine.

Parece que prefieres la música clásica a la moderna.

B1

It seems that you prefer classical music over modern music.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • detestar (to detest)
  • aborrecer (to hate/loathe)

Common Collocations

  • preferir A a Bto prefer A over B
  • preferir hacer algoto prefer doing something

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedprefiere
yoprefiero
prefieres
ellos/ellas/ustedesprefieren
nosotrospreferimos
vosotrospreferís

imperfect

él/ella/ustedprefería
yoprefería
preferías
ellos/ellas/ustedespreferían
nosotrospreferíamos
vosotrospreferíais

preterite

él/ella/ustedprefirió
yopreferí
preferiste
ellos/ellas/ustedesprefirieron
nosotrospreferimos
vosotrospreferisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedprefiera
yoprefiera
prefieras
ellos/ellas/ustedesprefieran
nosotrosprefiramos
vosotrosprefiráis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedprefiriera
yoprefiriera
prefirieras
ellos/ellas/ustedesprefirieran
nosotrosprefiriéramos
vosotrosprefirierais

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "prefieres" in Spanish:

you prefer

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: prefieres

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly asks an informal friend what they prefer to do tonight?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
quieressugieres
📚 Etymology

Comes from the Latin verb *praeferre*, which means 'to carry or place before.' This clearly shows the original idea of putting one thing ahead of another in importance or choice.

First recorded: Medieval Spanish (around 13th century)

Cognates (Related words)

English: preferFrench: préférer

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'prefieres' a regular verb?

No, 'prefieres' comes from the verb 'preferir,' which is an irregular stem-changing verb. This means the 'e' changes to 'ie' in most present tense forms, which is why it's 'prefieres' instead of *preferes*.

How do I say 'I prefer'?

You would use the 'yo' form, which is also irregular: 'Yo prefiero'. (I prefer).