Spanish grammar · Intermediate
Preferir Conjugation: Every Tense with Examples
Preferir means to prefer. Present takes e→ie stem change (prefiero, prefieres, prefiere). Preterite takes e→i in 3rd person (prefirió, prefirieron). Used with nouns or infinitives, preferir X, preferir + inf.
Prefiero el café.
I prefer coffee.
What it is
Preferir means to prefer. Present takes e→ie (prefiero, prefieres, prefiere, preferimos, preferís, prefieren). Preterite takes e→i in 3rd person (prefirió, prefirieron), the dual stem-change pattern for -ir verbs.
In Prefiero el café (I prefer coffee), prefiero is the present yo with e→ie. Preferir takes a direct object (Prefiero el rojo) or an infinitive (Prefiero salir).
How to spot it
Present: prefier-. Preterite 3rd person: prefir-. Other tenses regular -ir.
- ¿Qué prefieres? — What do you prefer?
- Prefirió quedarse. — He preferred to stay.
- Preferimos ir al cine. — We prefer going to the movies.
Preferir + a + alternative = prefer X over Y. Prefiero el té al café = I prefer tea over coffee.
Preferir Conjugation Quick Reference
Preferir at a glance, the most-used forms across tenses
| Person | Present | Preterite | Imperfect | Future | Subjunctive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | prefiero | preferí | prefería | preferiré | prefiera |
| tú | prefieres | preferiste | preferías | preferirás | prefieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | prefiere | prefirió | prefería | preferirá | prefiera |
| nosotros | preferimos | preferimos | preferíamos | preferiremos | prefiramos |
| vosotros | preferís | preferisteis | preferíais | preferiréis | prefiráis |
| ellos/Uds. | prefieren | prefirieron | preferían | preferirán | prefieran |
Common Preferir Conjugation Examples in Spanish
Preferir covers picking favorites, expressing inclinations, and comparing options:
Direct Object (Preferring a Thing)
- Prefiero el café.
- I prefer coffee.
- ¿Cuál prefieres?
- Which do you prefer?
- Prefieren la playa.
- They prefer the beach.
Preferir + direct object. The thing preferred just follows the verb.
Infinitive (Preferring to Do)
- Prefiero estudiar en casa.
- I prefer to study at home.
- Prefiere caminar.
- She prefers walking.
- Preferimos quedarnos.
- We prefer to stay.
Preferir + infinitive, no preposition needed before the verb.
Comparing Options (X A Y)
- Prefiero el té al café.
- I prefer tea to coffee.
- Prefiere la playa a la montaña.
- She prefers the beach to the mountains.
- Prefirieron ir en coche a en tren.
- They preferred to go by car rather than by train.
Preferir X a Y = prefer X over Y. The a marks the rejected option.
Subjunctive Triggers
- Prefiero que vengas conmigo.
- I prefer that you come with me.
- Prefiero que no lo hagas.
- I prefer you don't do it.
- Preferían que esperáramos.
- They preferred that we wait.
Preferir que + different subject triggers subjunctive in the second clause.
How to Conjugate Preferir Across Tenses
Present, E→Ie Stem Change
Yo / tú / él / ellos: prefiero, prefieres, prefiere, prefieren. Nosotros / vosotros: preferimos, preferís (no change).
Yo prefiero, tú prefieres, él prefiere, nosotros preferimos, vosotros preferís, ellos prefieren.
I prefer, you prefer, he prefers, we prefer, you all prefer, they prefer.
Same e→ie pattern as querer (quiero), entender (entiendo), pensar (pienso).
Preterite, Dual Stem Change (E→I in 3rd Person)
Most forms regular: preferí, preferiste, preferimos, preferisteis. But 3rd person takes e→i: prefirió, prefirieron.
Yo preferí el rojo. Él prefirió quedarse.
I preferred the red one. He preferred to stay.
All -ir e→ie present verbs do this dual change. Same pattern as sentir → sintió, mentir → mintió, divertirse → se divirtió.
Imperfect / Future, Regular
Imperfect: prefería, preferías, prefería, preferíamos, preferíais, preferían. Future: preferiré, preferirás. Both regular.
Antes prefería el invierno. Preferiremos ir más tarde.
I used to prefer winter. We'll prefer to go later.
Stem changes disappear outside present and 3rd-person preterite.
Subjunctive, E→Ie + E→I in Nosotros / Vosotros
Present subjunctive: prefiera, prefieras, prefiera, prefiramos, prefiráis, prefieran. Notice prefiramos / prefiráis use i (not e).
Quiero que prefieras la salud.
I want you to prefer health.
All -ir dual-stem verbs do this, subjunctive nosotros / vosotros take i (prefiramos, sintamos, mintamos).
Common Mistakes with Preferir Conjugation
Incorrect: Yo prefero el café. — I prefer coffee. (wrong, present takes e→ie)
Correct: Yo prefiero el café. — I prefer coffee.
Preferir takes e→ie in yo / tú / él / ellos present. Prefiero, not prefero.
Incorrect: Él preferió quedarse. — He preferred to stay. (wrong, 3rd person preterite takes e→i)
Correct: Él prefirió quedarse. — He preferred to stay.
Preferir is a dual stem-changing -ir verb. 3rd person preterite takes e→i: prefirió, prefirieron.
Incorrect: Prefiero a estudiar. — I prefer to study. (wrong, preferir doesn't take a before infinitive)
Correct: Prefiero estudiar. — I prefer to study.
Preferir + infinitive directly, no preposition. Adding a creates the prefer X over Y construction, but only between two compared options.
Preferir Across Every Tense
Dual stem-change -ir verb: e→ie in present, e→i in 3rd person preterite and nosotros / vosotros subjunctive.
Present (E→Ie)
Yo / tú / él / ellos stem change.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Same e→ie family as quiero, pienso, entiendo, siento.
Preterite (E→I in 3rd Person)
3rd person sing/plural change to prefir-.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Same dual change family: sentir (sintió), mentir (mintió), divertirse (se divirtió).
Imperfect (Regular)
Fully regular -ir imperfect.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Antes prefería = I used to prefer (ongoing past taste).
Future, Conditional, Subjunctive
Future / conditional regular. Subjunctive: e→ie in stressed forms, e→i in nosotros / vosotros.
| yo (future) |
| yo (conditional) |
| yo (present subjunctive) |
| nosotros (present subjunctive) |
Past participle preferido is regular.
Preferir Conjugation FAQs
- What does preferir mean and when do you use it in Spanish?
- Preferir means to prefer. Used for direct objects (Prefiero el café), infinitives (Prefiero estudiar), comparing options (Prefiero el té al café), and triggering subjunctive in dependent clauses (Prefiero que vengas).
- How does preferir conjugate in the present tense?
- Prefiero, prefieres, prefiere, preferimos, preferís, prefieren. Takes e→ie stem change in yo / tú / él / ellos. Nosotros / vosotros keep the e.
- What's the preterite of preferir?
- Preferí, preferiste, prefirió, preferimos, preferisteis, prefirieron. Dual stem change: regular endings, but 3rd person sing/plural shifts e→i (prefirió, prefirieron). Same pattern as sentir, mentir, divertirse.
- How do you say to prefer X over Y in Spanish?
- Preferir X a Y. Prefiero el té al café = I prefer tea over coffee. The a marks the rejected alternative. Without a, just preferir + direct object expresses the preference.
- How can I get better at conjugating preferir?
- Preferir shows up in stating preferences, food, drinks, activities, decisions. Exposure to prefiero / prefieres / prefirió in real contexts builds the pattern fast. Parrot's daily videos feature these forms.