prefiero
“prefiero” means “I prefer” in Spanish (expressing choice).
I prefer
Also: I'd rather
📝 In Action
Prefiero la manzana al plátano.
A1I prefer the apple over the banana.
¿Té o café? Prefiero té, gracias.
A1Tea or coffee? I prefer tea, thank you.
Prefiero quedarme aquí a esperar la lluvia.
A2I prefer to stay here and wait for the rain.
Prefiero que me llames mañana.
B1I prefer that you call me tomorrow.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: prefiero
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'prefiero' to express a choice?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin verb *praeferre*, which literally meant 'to carry before' or 'to place in front.' Over time, it developed the meaning of putting one thing before another in terms of choice or importance.
First recorded: 13th century (in Romance languages)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'prefiero' a regular verb?
No. Although it follows the normal '-ir' endings in most tenses (like the past), it is irregular in the present tense because the 'e' in the stem changes to 'ie' (prefiero, prefieres, prefiere). These are sometimes called 'boot verbs'.
How do I say 'I prefer NOT to...'?
You simply place 'no' immediately before the conjugated verb: 'No prefiero salir esta noche' (I prefer not to go out tonight).