Inklingo
Dictionary

prefiero

pre-FIE-rohpɾeˈfje.ɾo

“prefiero” means “I prefer” in Spanish (expressing choice).

I preferAlso: I'd rather

VerbA1irregular (stem-changing e > ie) ir
A single hand reaching clearly toward a bright red apple, demonstrating a preference over a green pear resting nearby on a simple wooden table.
infinitivepreferir
gerundprefiriendo
past Participlepreferido

📝 In Action

Prefiero la manzana al plátano.

A1

I prefer the apple over the banana.

¿Té o café? Prefiero té, gracias.

A1

Tea or coffee? I prefer tea, thank you.

Prefiero quedarme aquí a esperar la lluvia.

A2

I prefer to stay here and wait for the rain.

Prefiero que me llames mañana.

B1

I prefer that you call me tomorrow.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • gustar más (to like more)
  • elegir (to choose)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • prefiero mil veces – I prefer a thousand times (I strongly prefer)
  • prefiero hacer algo – I prefer to do something

Indicative

Present

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

Imperfect

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

Preterite

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

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yoprefiera
túprefieras
él/ella/ustedprefiera
nosotrosprefirámos
vosotrosprefiráis
ellos/ellas/ustedesprefieran

Imperfect Subjunctive

yoprefiriera
túprefirieras
él/ella/ustedprefiriera
nosotrosprefiriéramos
vosotrosprefirierais
ellos/ellas/ustedesprefirieran
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "prefiero" in Spanish:

i preferi'd rather

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: prefiero

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'prefiero' to express a choice?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
preferir(to prefer) — Verb
preferencia(preference) — Noun
preferible(preferable) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes
quierofiero
📚 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)

English: preferFrench: préférer

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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).