preferir
to prefer
In the tables below, the stem is shown in black and the ending in purple.
1.Presente
Presente
Habitual actions, general truths, and what's happening now.
| yo | prefiero |
| tú | prefieres |
| él/ella | prefiere |
| nosotros | preferimos |
| vosotros | preferís |
| ellos/ellas | prefieren |
Yo prefiero el té en lugar del café.
I prefer tea over coffee.
Ella prefiere estudiar por la mañana.
She prefers to study in the morning.
2.Pretérito Indefinido
Pretérito Indefinido
Completed actions at a specific point in the past.
| yo | preferí |
| tú | preferiste |
| él/ella | prefirió |
| nosotros | preferimos |
| vosotros | preferisteis |
| ellos/ellas | prefirieron |
Ayer preferí quedarme en casa.
Yesterday I preferred to stay at home.
Ellos prefirieron ir al cine en vez de al teatro.
They preferred to go to the movies instead of the theater.
3.Imperfecto
Imperfecto
Ongoing or repeated actions in the past, descriptions, and background context.
| yo | prefería |
| tú | preferías |
| él/ella | prefería |
| nosotros | preferíamos |
| vosotros | preferíais |
| ellos/ellas | preferían |
Cuando era niño, prefería jugar afuera.
When I was a child, I preferred to play outside.
Ella siempre prefería la música clásica.
She always preferred classical music.
4.Futuro Simple
Futuro Simple
Future actions, predictions, and speculation about the present.
| yo | preferiré |
| tú | preferirás |
| él/ella | preferirá |
| nosotros | preferiremos |
| vosotros | preferiréis |
| ellos/ellas | preferirán |
Mañana preferiré ir al parque.
Tomorrow I will prefer to go to the park.
Ellos preferirán cenar en un restaurante.
They will prefer to have dinner at a restaurant.
5.Condicional
Condicional
Hypothetical situations, polite requests, and future-in-the-past.
| yo | preferiría |
| tú | preferirías |
| él/ella | preferiría |
| nosotros | preferiríamos |
| vosotros | preferiríais |
| ellos/ellas | preferirían |
Si tuviera tiempo, preferiría viajar más.
If I had time, I would prefer to travel more.
Ella preferiría no hablar de eso.
She would prefer not to talk about that.
6.Subjuntivo Presente
Subjuntivo Presente
Wishes, doubts, emotions, and subordinate clauses expressing uncertainty.
| yo | prefiera |
| tú | prefieras |
| él/ella | prefiera |
| nosotros | prefiramos |
| vosotros | prefiráis |
| ellos/ellas | prefieran |
Espero que tú prefieras la pizza.
I hope that you prefer pizza.
Es importante que ellos prefieran estudiar juntos.
It's important that they prefer to study together.
7.Subjuntivo Imperfecto
Subjuntivo Imperfecto
Past subjunctive contexts, hypothetical si-clauses, and polite suggestions.
| yo | prefiriera |
| tú | prefirieras |
| él/ella | prefiriera |
| nosotros | prefiriéramos |
| vosotros | prefirierais |
| ellos/ellas | prefirieran |
Si yo prefiriera, iría a la playa.
If I preferred, I would go to the beach.
Ojalá ella prefiriera quedarse aquí.
I wish she preferred to stay here.
"preferir" in other languages
Related verbs
Common questions
- Is "preferir" regular or irregular in Spanish?
- "preferir" is an irregular Spanish verb. It does not follow the standard -ir conjugation pattern and must be memorized.
- How do you conjugate "preferir" in the present tense?
- In the Presente, "preferir" conjugates as: prefieres, prefiero, prefieren, and more. See the full table above.
- What is the past tense of "preferir" in Spanish?
- In the Pretérito Indefinido, "preferir" conjugates as: preferiste, preferí, prefirieron, and more. See the full table above.
- How common is "preferir" in Spanish?
- "preferir" (to prefer) is one of the most commonly used verbs in Spanish.