preferir present tense conjugation

Preferir (to prefer) in the present tense: prefiero, prefieres, prefiere, preferimos, preferís, prefieren.

Presente Present

Presente of preferir
yoregular: prefero
túregular: preferes
él/ella/ustedregular: prefere
nosotros
vosotros
ellos/ellas/ustedesregular: preferen

ending regular · irr breaks the pattern · tap a form to hear it

When to use the present tense

The present (presente de indicativo) describes what happens now, what happens regularly, and fixed facts. It is also used for the near future: “Mañana salgo a las ocho.”

How it is formed

Regular endings attach to the stem (infinitive minus -ar/-er/-ir): -ar → o, as, a, amos, áis, an; -er → o, es, e, emos, éis, en; -ir → o, es, e, imos, ís, en.

Preferir is irregular here. 4 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above); the regular pattern would give prefero, preferes, prefere, preferen.

Preferir in a sentence

  • Prefiero el café al té.I prefer coffee over tea.
  • Prefirió quedarse en casa.She preferred to stay home.

Stem-changing e→ie (present) and e→i (preterite/gerund: prefiriendo).

FAQ

What is the present tense of preferir?

Preferir in the Spanish present tense: yo prefiero, tú prefieres, él/ella/usted prefiere, nosotros preferimos, vosotros preferís, ellos/ellas/ustedes prefieren.

Is preferir irregular in the present tense?

Yes. 4 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: yo prefiero (regular would be prefero); tú prefieres (regular would be preferes); él/ella/usted prefiere (regular would be prefere); ellos/ellas/ustedes prefieren (regular would be preferen).

When do you use the Spanish present tense?

The present (presente de indicativo) describes what happens now, what happens regularly, and fixed facts. It is also used for the near future: “Mañana salgo a las ocho.”

How is the present tense formed?

Regular endings attach to the stem (infinitive minus -ar/-er/-ir): -ar → o, as, a, amos, áis, an; -er → o, es, e, emos, éis, en; -ir → o, es, e, imos, ís, en.

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