Preferir Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Portuguese

preferir — to prefer — is one of the verbs you will use every day in Portuguese. It is a regular -ir verb, and it comes up in conversation, at work and at home. It means to prefer, and it is a stem-change verb: the present eu form is prefiro, with i, while the tu form keeps e — preferes, prefere, preferimos, preferis, preferem. Its pretérito perfeito is preferi, preferiste, preferiu, and its participle is preferido. It takes a direct object with no preposition. On this page you will find preferir in real sentences, grouped by meaning and tense, two short texts that show it in context, the mistakes learners actually make with it, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself. The full conjugation tables are on the preferir conjugation page, and the deep dive into its most practised tense is on the preferir pretérito perfeito tense page.

Example sentences with preferir

In the present tense

  • “Eu prefiro café todos os dias.” — “I prefer coffee”
  • “Tu preferes café todos os dias.” — “You prefer coffee”
  • “Ele prefere café todos os dias.” — “He prefers coffee”
  • “Nós preferimos café todos os dias.” — “We prefer coffee”
  • “Vós preferis café todos os dias.” — “You prefer coffee”
  • “Eles preferem café todos os dias.” — “They prefer coffee”

In the pretérito perfeito

  • “Eu preferi café ontem.” — “I preferred coffee”
  • “Tu preferiste café ontem.” — “You preferred coffee”
  • “Ele preferiu café ontem.” — “He preferred coffee”
  • “Nós preferimos café ontem.” — “We preferred coffee”
  • “Vós preferistes café ontem.” — “You preferred coffee”
  • “Eles preferiram café ontem.” — “They preferred coffee”

In other tenses

The same verb in the pretérito imperfeito, the futuro do presente, the futuro do pretérito, the presente do subjuntivo and the imperative — the tenses that complete the picture. All forms come from the verified tables.

  • “Eu preferia café antigamente.” — “I used to prefer coffee”
  • “Tu preferirás café amanhã.” — “You will prefer coffee”
  • “Ele preferiria café um dia.” — “He would prefer coffee”
  • “É importante que nós prefiramos café.” — “It is important that we prefer coffee”
  • “Prefere café!” — “Prefer coffee!”

How preferir is used

The first thing to know about preferir is its core meaning: to prefer. It means to prefer, and it is a stem-change verb: the present eu form is prefiro, with i, while the tu form keeps e — preferes, prefere, preferimos, preferis, preferem. Its pretérito perfeito is preferi, preferiste, preferiu, and its participle is preferido. It takes a direct object with no preposition. In everyday speech it appears most often in the present and the pretérito perfeito, the two tenses on this page, because most of what we say is either what we do every day or what we have just done. Learn those two tenses first and the rest of the conjugation becomes a matter of adding forms one at a time. The second thing to know is the company preferir keeps. The present eu form is prefiro, and it pairs naturally with the time words todos os dias and sempre for habits, and with agora for what is happening right now. The pretérito perfeito composto eu form is tenho preferido, and it pairs with ontem and esta semana for finished actions. When you learn a verb form, learn its time words with it, and choosing the tense becomes automatic. The third thing to know is what preferir does not do. It never appears as a bare infinitive after a subject pronoun — after eu you need prefiro, never preferir. It never takes the wrong auxiliary in the perfect tenses: the pretérito perfeito composto is tenho preferido, built with ter, and the other auxiliary does not belong here. And its participle preferido is given in the masculine singular form in the tables, with agreement depending on the sentence, not on the verb table.

Preferir in context

Eu prefiro café todos os dias. Tu preferes café todos os dias. Ele prefere café todos os dias. Nós preferimos café todos os dias. That is a normal part of the routine, and that is why the present of preferir is the first form worth learning. Each sentence uses a different person, so read them aloud and notice how the form changes — prefiro, preferes, prefere, preferimos — while the meaning stays the same: to prefer. Eu preferi café ontem. Tu preferiste café ontem. Ele preferiu café ontem. Nós preferimos café ontem. That was a normal day, but it is exactly on days like this that the pretérito perfeito of preferir appears constantly: a finished action, a precise moment, and the story goes on. Compare these sentences with the present ones above: the verb changes tense, but the basic meaning — to prefer — does not change. That is the difference between a habit and a finished event.

Common mistakes

1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

✗ Wrong: “Eu preferir café.”

✓ Right: “Eu prefiro café todos os dias.”

The infinitive preferir never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form prefiro.

2. Using the wrong person

✗ Wrong: “Eu preferes café.”

✓ Right: “Eu prefiro café todos os dias.”

preferes is the tu form, not the eu form. The eu form is prefiro — check the person before you write the form.

3. Using the present for a finished past action

✗ Wrong: “Eu prefiro café ontem.”

✓ Right: “Eu preferi café ontem.”

Ontem points to the past, so use the pretérito perfeito preferi here, not the present prefiro.

4. Mixing up the auxiliary

✗ Wrong: “Eu sou preferido café.”

✓ Right: “Eu tenho preferido café esta semana.”

preferir takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto. The eu form is tenho preferido — the other auxiliary never belongs with this verb.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on preferir across the tenses. Answers with explanations follow each question.

  1. What is the tu form of preferir in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) prefiro
    • B) preferes
    • C) prefere
    • D) preferimos

  2. What is the eu form of preferir in the Pretérito perfeito composto?

    • A) tens preferido
    • B) tem preferido
    • C) tenho preferido
    • D) temos preferido

  3. What is the ele/ela form of preferir in the Pretérito imperfeito?

    • A) preferias
    • B) preferíamos
    • C) preferíeis
    • D) preferia

  4. What is the nós form of preferir in the Futuro do presente?

    • A) preferiremos
    • B) preferirei
    • C) preferirás
    • D) preferirá

  5. What is the tu form of preferir in the Futuro do pretérito?

    • A) preferiria
    • B) preferirias
    • C) preferiríamos
    • D) preferiríeis

  6. What is the eu form of preferir in the Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples?

    • A) preferiras
    • B) preferíramos
    • C) preferira
    • D) preferíreis

  7. What is the nós form of preferir in the Presente do subjuntivo?

    • A) prefira
    • B) prefiras
    • C) prefirais
    • D) prefiramos

  8. What is the gerund of preferir?

    • A) preferindo
    • B) preferido
    • C) preferir
    • D) prefiro

  9. What is the past participle of preferir?

    • A) preferindo
    • B) preferido
    • C) preferir
    • D) prefiro

  10. What does preferir mean in English?

  • A) to ask for
  • B) to receive
  • C) to prefer
  • D) to pay

Answer key

  1. B) preferes — the correct form is preferes. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) tenho preferido — the correct form is tenho preferido. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) preferia — the correct form is preferia. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) preferiremos — the correct form is preferiremos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) preferirias — the correct form is preferirias. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) preferira — the correct form is preferira. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) prefiramos — the correct form is prefiramos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) preferindo — the correct form is preferindo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  9. B) preferido — the correct form is preferido. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  10. C) to prefer — the correct form is to prefer. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does preferir mean in English?

preferir means “to prefer”. You use it whenever you talk about to prefer in Portuguese, in the present, the past and the future.

Is preferir regular or irregular?

preferir is regular. preferir is regular: every form follows the standard -ir endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem.

What are the gerund and past participle of preferir?

The gerund is preferindo and the past participle is preferido. The perfect tenses use ter + preferido.

Where can I see the full conjugation of preferir?

On the preferir conjugation page — every tense, every person, with tables. The preferir pretérito perfeito tense page goes deeper into its most practised tense.

Pronunciation

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for preferir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

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