preferir preterite conjugation
Preferir (to prefer) in the preterite: preferí, preferiste, prefirió, preferimos, preferisteis, prefirieron.
Pretérito indefinido Preterite
| yo | |
|---|---|
| tú | |
| él/ella/usted | regular: preferió |
| nosotros | |
| vosotros | |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | regular: preferieron |
ending regular · irr breaks the pattern · tap a form to hear it
When to use the preterite
The preterite (pretérito indefinido) is the past tense for completed actions with a clear start or end: “Ayer hice la cena.” For background, habits and ongoing states in the past, Spanish uses the imperfect instead.
How it is formed
Regular endings: -ar → é, aste, ó, amos, asteis, aron; -er/-ir → í, iste, ió, imos, isteis, ieron. Many common verbs use an irregular stem (hic-, tuv-, estuv-, pud-, quis-, dij-) with unstressed endings -e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -ieron.
Preferir is irregular here. 2 of 6 forms break the pattern (dark tiles above); the regular pattern would give preferió, preferieron.
Read more: Preterite vs imperfect: when to use each
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 preterite of preferir?
Preferir in the Spanish preterite: yo preferí, tú preferiste, él/ella/usted prefirió, nosotros preferimos, vosotros preferisteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes prefirieron.
Is preferir irregular in the preterite?
Yes. 2 of 6 forms break the regular pattern: él/ella/usted prefirió (regular would be preferió); ellos/ellas/ustedes prefirieron (regular would be preferieron).
When do you use the Spanish preterite?
The preterite (pretérito indefinido) is the past tense for completed actions with a clear start or end: “Ayer hice la cena.” For background, habits and ongoing states in the past, Spanish uses the imperfect instead.
How is the preterite formed?
Regular endings: -ar → é, aste, ó, amos, asteis, aron; -er/-ir → í, iste, ió, imos, isteis, ieron. Many common verbs use an irregular stem (hic-, tuv-, estuv-, pud-, quis-, dij-) with unstressed endings -e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -ieron.
Full preferir conjugation, all tenses →
Drill it with flashcards →