Ella VerbsHow to conjugate Preferir in Spanish
To prefer Irregular Verb
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Indicative tenses of Preferir
- Preferir in the Indicative Present
- Preferir in the Indicative Preterite
- Preferir in the Indicative Imperfect
- Preferir in the Indicative Present Continuous
- Preferir in the Indicative Informal Future
- Preferir in the Indicative Future
- Preferir in the Indicative Conditional
- Preferir in the Indicative Present Perfect
- Preferir in the Indicative Past Perfect
- Preferir in the Indicative Future Perfect
- Preferir in the Indicative Conditional Perfect
- Subjunctive tenses of Preferir
- Imperative tenses of Preferir
- Downloadable cheat sheet (PDF)
- Practice Preferir conjugations (free mobile app)
Introduction
Preferir is the Spanish verb for "to prefer". It is an irregular verb. Read on below to see how it is conjugated in the 18 major Spanish tenses!
| Item | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | preferir | to prefer |
| Past participle | preferido | preferred |
| Gerund | prefiriendo | preferring |
Indicative Tenses of Preferir
Preferir in the Indicative Present
The Indicative Present of preferir is used to talk about situations, events or thoughts that are happening now or in the near future. It is also used to talk about facts and truths. For example, "prefiero", meaning "I prefer".
In Spanish, the Indicative Present is known as "El Presente".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | prefiero | I prefer |
| Tú | prefieres | you prefer |
| Ella / Él / Usted | prefiere | s/he prefers, you (formal) prefer |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | preferimos | we prefer |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | preferís | you (plural) prefer |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | prefieren | they prefer, you (plural formal) prefer |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Preferir in the Indicative Preterite
The Indicative Preterite of preferir is used to talk about actions completed in the past, at a specific point in time. For example, "preferí", meaning "I preferred".
In Spanish, the Indicative Preterite is known as "El Pretérito Indefinido".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | preferí | I preferred |
| Tú | preferiste | you preferred |
| Ella / Él / Usted | prefirió | s/he preferred, you (formal) preferred |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | preferimos | we preferred |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | preferisteis | you (plural) preferred |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | prefirieron | they preferred, you (plural formal) preferred |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Preferir in the Indicative Imperfect
The Indicative Imperfect of preferir is used to describe regular and repeated actions that happened in the past and descriptions of things you used to do. For example, "prefería", meaning "I used to prefer".
In Spanish, the Indicative Imperfect is known as "El Pretérito Imperfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | prefería | I used to prefer |
| Tú | preferías | you used to prefer |
| Ella / Él / Usted | prefería | s/he used to prefer, you (formal) used to prefer |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | preferíamos | we used to prefer |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | preferíais | you (plural) used to prefer |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | preferían | they used to prefer, you (plural formal) used to prefer |
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Preferir in the Indicative Present Continuous
The Indicative Present Continuous of preferir is used to talk about something that is happening continuously or right now. For example, "estoy prefiriendo", meaning "I am preferring".
In Spanish, the Indicative Present Continuous is known as "El Presente Progresivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | estoy prefiriendo | I am preferring |
| Tú | estás prefiriendo | you are preferring |
| Ella / Él / Usted | está prefiriendo | s/he is preferring, you (formal) are preferring |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | estamos prefiriendo | we are preferring |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | estáis prefiriendo | you (plural) are preferring |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | están prefiriendo | they are preferring, you (plural formal) are preferring |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Preferir in the Indicative Informal Future
The Indicative Informal Future of preferir is used to talk about something that will happen in the future, especially in the near future. For example, "voy a preferir", meaning "I am going to prefer".
In Spanish, the Indicative Informal Future is known as "El Futuro Próximo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | voy a preferir | I am going to prefer |
| Tú | vas a preferir | you are going to prefer |
| Ella / Él / Usted | va a preferir | s/he is going to prefer, you (formal) are going to prefer |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | vamos a preferir | we are going to prefer |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | vais a preferir | you (plural) are going to prefer |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | van a preferir | they are going to prefer, you (plural formal) are going to prefer |
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Preferir in the Indicative Future
The Indicative Future of preferir is used to talk about something that will happen in the future. For example, "preferiré", meaning "I will prefer".
In Spanish, the Indicative Future is known as "El Futuro Simple".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | preferiré | I will prefer |
| Tú | preferirás | you will prefer |
| Ella / Él / Usted | preferirá | s/he will prefer, you (formal) will prefer |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | preferiremos | we will prefer |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | preferiréis | you (plural) will prefer |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | preferirán | they will prefer, you (plural formal) will prefer |
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Preferir in the Indicative Conditional
The Indicative Conditional of preferir is used to talk about something that may happen in the future, hypothesis and probabilities. For example, "preferiría", meaning "I would prefer".
In Spanish, the Indicative Conditional is known as "El Condicional Simple".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | preferiría | I would prefer |
| Tú | preferirías | you would prefer |
| Ella / Él / Usted | preferiría | s/he would prefer, you (formal) would prefer |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | preferiríamos | we would prefer |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | preferiríais | you (plural) would prefer |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | preferirían | they would prefer, you (plural formal) would prefer |
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Preferir in the Indicative Present Perfect
The Indicative Present Perfect of preferir is used to describe actions that started recently (in the past) and are still happening now or things that have been done recently. For example, "he preferido", meaning "I have preferred".
In Spanish, the Indicative Present Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | he preferido | I have preferred |
| Tú | has preferido | you have preferred |
| Ella / Él / Usted | ha preferido | s/he has preferred, you (formal) have preferred |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hemos preferido | we have preferred |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habéis preferido | you (plural) have preferred |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | han preferido | they have preferred, you (plural formal) have preferred |
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Preferir in the Indicative Past Perfect
The Indicative Past Perfect of preferir is used to talk about actions that happened before another action in the past. For example, "había preferido", meaning "I had preferred".
In Spanish, the Indicative Past Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | había preferido | I had preferred |
| Tú | habías preferido | you had preferred |
| Ella / Él / Usted | había preferido | s/he had preferred, you (formal) had preferred |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habíamos preferido | we had preferred |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habíais preferido | you (plural) had preferred |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habían preferido | they had preferred, you (plural formal) had preferred |
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Preferir in the Indicative Future Perfect
The Indicative Future Perfect of preferir is used to talk about something that will have happened in the future after something else has already happened. For example, "habré preferido", meaning "I will have preferred".
In Spanish, the Indicative Future Perfect is known as "El Futuro Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | habré preferido | I will have preferred |
| Tú | habrás preferido | you will have preferred |
| Ella / Él / Usted | habrá preferido | s/he will have preferred, you (formal) will have preferred |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habremos preferido | we will have preferred |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habréis preferido | you (plural) will have preferred |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habrán preferido | they will have preferred, you (plural formal) will have preferred |
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Preferir in the Indicative Conditional Perfect
The Indicative Conditional Perfect of preferir is used to talk about something that would have happened in the past but didn’t due to another action. For example, "habría preferido", meaning "I would have preferred".
In Spanish, the Indicative Conditional Perfect is known as "El Condicional Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | habría preferido | I would have preferred |
| Tú | habrías preferido | you would have preferred |
| Ella / Él / Usted | habría preferido | s/he would have preferred, you (formal) would have preferred |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habríamos preferido | we would have preferred |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habríais preferido | you (plural) would have preferred |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habrían preferido | they would have preferred, you (plural formal) would have preferred |
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Subjunctive Tenses of Preferir
Preferir in the Subjunctive Present
The Subjunctive Present is used to talk about situations of uncertainty, or emotions such as wishes, desires and hopes. It differs from the indicative mood due to the uncertainty of the events which are being spoken about. For example, "prefiera", meaning "I prefer".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Present is known as "El Presente de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | prefiera | I prefer |
| Tú | prefieras | you prefer |
| Ella / Él / Usted | prefiera | s/he prefers, you (formal) prefer |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | prefiramos | we prefer |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | prefiráis | you (plural) prefer |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | prefieran | they prefer, you (plural formal) prefer |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Preferir in the Subjunctive Imperfect
The Subjunctive Imperfect is used to speak about unlikely or uncertain events in the past or to cast an opinion (emotional) about something that happened in the past. For example, "prefiriera", meaning "I preferred".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Imperfect is known as "El Imperfecto Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | prefiriera | I preferred |
| Tú | prefirieras | you preferred |
| Ella / Él / Usted | prefiriera | s/he preferred, you (formal) preferred |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | prefiriéramos | we preferred |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | prefirierais | you (plural) preferred |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | prefirieran | they preferred, you (plural formal) preferred |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Preferir in the Subjunctive Future
The Subjunctive Future is used to speak about hypothetical situations, and actions/events that may happen in the future. For example, "prefiriere", meaning "I will prefer".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Future is known as "El Futuro de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | prefiriere | I will prefer |
| Tú | prefirieres | you will prefer |
| Ella / Él / Usted | prefiriere | s/he will prefer, you (formal) will prefer |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | prefiriéremos | we will prefer |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | prefiriereis | you (plural) will prefer |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | prefirieren | they will prefer, you (plural formal) will prefer |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Preferir in the Subjunctive Present Perfect
The Subjunctive Present Perfect is used to describe past actions or events that are still connected to the present day and to speak about an action that will have happened by a certain time in the future. For example, "haya preferido", meaning "I have preferred".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Present Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Perfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | haya preferido | I have preferred |
| Tú | hayas preferido | you have preferred |
| Ella / Él / Usted | haya preferido | s/he has preferred, you (formal) have preferred |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hayamos preferido | we have preferred |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hayáis preferido | you (plural) have preferred |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hayan preferido | they have preferred, you (plural formal) have preferred |
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Preferir in the Subjunctive Past Perfect
The Subjunctive Past Perfect is used to speak about hypothetical situations, and actions/events that occurred before other actions/events in the past. For example, "hubiera preferido", meaning "I had preferred".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Past Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hubiera preferido | I had preferred |
| Tú | hubieras preferido | you had preferred |
| Ella / Él / Usted | hubiera preferido | s/he had preferred, you (formal) had preferred |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hubiéramos preferido | we had preferred |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hubierais preferido | you (plural) had preferred |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hubieran preferido | they had preferred, you (plural formal) had preferred |
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Preferir in the Subjunctive Future Perfect
The Subjunctive Future Perfect is used to speak about something that will have happened if a hypothetical situations occurs in the future. For example, "hubiere preferido", meaning "I will have preferred".
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Future Perfect is known as "El Futuro Perfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hubiere preferido | I will have preferred |
| Tú | hubieres preferido | you will have preferred |
| Ella / Él / Usted | hubiere preferido | s/he will have preferred, you (formal) will have preferred |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hubiéremos preferido | we will have preferred |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hubiereis preferido | you (plural) will have preferred |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hubieren preferido | they will have preferred, you (plural formal) will have preferred |
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Imperative Tenses of Preferir
Preferir in the Imperative Affirmative
The Imperative Affirmative is used to give orders and commands, to tell someone to do something. For example, "prefiera", meaning "(to you formal) prefer!".
In Spanish, the Imperative Affirmative is known as "El Imperativo Afirmativo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | - | - |
| Tú | prefiere | (to you) prefer! |
| Ella / Él / Usted | prefiera | (to you formal) prefer! |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | prefiramos | let's prefer! |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | preferid | (to you plural) prefer! |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | prefieran | (to you plural formal) prefer! |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Preferir in the Imperative Negative
The Imperative Negative is used to give orders and commands, telling someone not to do something. For example, "no prefiera", meaning "(to you formal) don't prefer!".
In Spanish, the Imperative Negative is known as "El Imperativo Negativo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | - | - |
| Tú | no prefieras | (to you) don't prefer! |
| Ella / Él / Usted | no prefiera | (to you formal) don't prefer! |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | no prefiramos | let's not prefer! |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | no prefiráis | (to you plural) don't prefer! |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | no prefieran | (to you plural formal) don't prefer! |
The red dot () above denotes an irregular conjugation.
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Downloadable cheat sheets
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Preferir: to prefer
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