Spanish Verbs
Preferir Conjugation
Preferir is a Spanish irregular IR verb meaning "to prefer". Irregular verbs are verbs which do not follow the standard conjugation patterns of Spanish regular verbs.
Present Tense
Past Tenses
- Preferir Past Tense
- Preferir Preterite
- Preferir Imperfect
- Preferir Present Perfect
- Preferir Past Perfect
Future Tenses
Subjunctive Tenses
Further Reading
100 Most Used Spanish Verbs Poster w/ Study Guide
A selection of the most used irregular and regular Spanish verb conjugations. A must have for anyone who wants to learn Spanish!
Preferir Conjugation
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | prefiero | I prefer |
| Tú | prefieres | You prefer |
| Él/Ella/ |
prefiere | He/She prefers |
| Nosotros | preferimos | We prefer |
| Vosotros | preferís | You (plural) prefer |
| Ellos/ |
prefieren | They prefer |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Preferir Participio
The Participio or Past Participle of Preferir is preferido. This is used to form the Preferir Present Perfect and the Preferir Past Perfect.
Preferir Gerundio
The Gerundio or Present Participle of Preferir is prefiriendo. This is used to form the Preferir Present Continuous.
Preferir Present Continuous
The Present Continuous (presente progresivo or presente continuo) is used to describe actions that are happening right now or around now. To form the present continuous tense, combine the Estar conjugation with the Preferir Gerundio (or Present Participle).
Example: Él está siendo muy egoísta últimamente. (He is being very selfish lately.)
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | estoy prefiriendo | I am prefering |
| Tú | estás prefiriendo | You are prefering |
| Él/Ella/ |
está prefiriendo | He/She is prefering |
| Nosotros | estamos prefiriendo | We are prefering |
| Vosotros | estáis prefiriendo | You (plural) are prefering |
| Ellos/ |
están prefiriendo | They are prefering |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topPreferir Past Tense
Spanish has several past tenses, each serving a specific purpose to express actions in the past.
Additionally, the use of Spanish past tenses can vary significantly across regions due to cultural and linguistic differences.
These are some of the most commonly used Spanish past tenses:
Preferir Preterite
The Preterite Tense (Pretérito or Indefinido) is used for completed actions in the past that have a clear beginning or end.
Example: Ayer comí pizza. (Yesterday, I ate pizza).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | preferí | I prefered |
| Tú | preferiste | You prefered |
| Él/Ella/ |
prefirió | He/She prefered |
| Nosotros | preferimos | We prefered |
| Vosotros | preferisteis | You (plural) prefered |
| Ellos/ |
prefirieron | They prefered |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topPreferir Imperfect
The Imperfect Tense (Imperfecto) describes ongoing, habitual, or background actions in the past, often without a defined start or end.
Example: Cuando era niño, jugaba fútbol todos los días. (When I was a child, I used to play soccer every day).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | prefería | I used to prefer |
| Tú | preferías | You used to prefer |
| Él/Ella/ |
prefería | He/She used to prefer |
| Nosotros | preferíamos | We used to prefer |
| Vosotros | preferíais | You (plural) used to prefer |
| Ellos/ |
preferían | They used to prefer |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topPreferir Present Perfect
The Present Perfect Tense (Presente Perfecto) is used to describe actions that have been completed recently or have relevance to the present moment. The Present Perfect Tense is formed by combining the Present Tense of the auxiliary verb Haber Conjugation with the Preferir Participio.
Example: He leído ese libro. (I have read that book).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | he preferido | I have prefered |
| Tú | has preferido | You have prefered |
| Él/Ella/ |
ha preferido | He/She has prefered |
| Nosotros | hemos preferido | We have prefered |
| Vosotros | habéis preferido | You (plural) have prefered |
| Ellos/ |
han preferido | They have prefered |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topPreferir Past Perfect
The Past Perfect Tense (Pluscuamperfecto) refers to actions completed before another action in the past. The Past Perfect Tense is formed by combining the Imperfect Tense of the auxiliary verb Haber Conjugation with the Preferir Participio.
Example: Había comido antes de salir. (I had eaten before leaving).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | había preferido | I had prefered |
| Tú | habías preferido | You had prefered |
| Él/Ella/ |
había preferido | He/She had prefered |
| Nosotros | habíamos preferido | We had prefered |
| Vosotros | habíais preferido | You (plural) had prefered |
| Ellos/ |
habían preferido | They had prefered |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topPreferir Future Tense
The Future Tense (Futuro) is used to describe actions or events that will happen in the future. It often expresses certainty or plans about what is yet to come.
Example: Mañana comeré pizza. (Tomorrow, I will eat pizza).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | preferiré | I will prefer |
| Tú | preferirás | You will prefer |
| Él/Ella/ |
preferirá | He/She will prefer |
| Nosotros | preferiremos | We will prefer |
| Vosotros | preferiréis | You (plural) will prefer |
| Ellos/ |
preferirán | They will prefer |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topPreferir Conditional Tense
The Conditional Tense (Condicional) is used to express hypothetical situations, polite requests, or actions that depend on other conditions. It is often used in combination with the Future Tense.
Example: Me gustaría un café, por favor.(I would like a coffee, please).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | preferiría | I would prefer |
| Tú | preferirías | You would prefer |
| Él/Ella/ |
preferiría | He/She would prefer |
| Nosotros | preferiríamos | We would prefer |
| Vosotros | preferiríais | You (plural) would prefer |
| Ellos/ |
preferirían | They would prefer |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topPreferir Subjunctive
The Subjunctive Tense (Subjuntivo) is used to express doubt, uncertainty, desire, or emotion. It is often used in dependent clauses introduced by specific conjunctions or verbs.
Example: Espero que seas feliz. (I hope you are happy).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | prefiera | I prefer |
| Tú | prefieras | You prefer |
| Él/Ella/ |
prefiera | He/She prefers |
| Nosotros | prefiramos | We prefer |
| Vosotros | prefiráis | You (plural) prefer |
| Ellos/ |
prefieran | They prefer |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topSpanish Regular Verbs
A verb is called a regular verb when its conjugation follows a consistent and predictable pattern. In contrast, a verb that does not follow these standard patterns is called an irregular verb. In Spanish, the three regular conjugation patterns are based on the verb endings: -AR, -ER, and -IR.
Spanish Conjugation Chart
Looking for more Spanish verbs like Preferir? Check out our Spanish Conjugation Chart, the 100 Most Used Spanish Verbs Poster!
