What is the Stem Change in preferir
preferir is a regular verb in the -ir family, but it follows a consistent stem-change pattern: the e in the stem shifts to ie in most forms except the nosotros and vosotros present tenses. This e → ie shift preserves the vowel sound change while keeping the verb recognizable across persons. Understanding this pattern helps you conjugate preferir accurately in the present, preterite, imperfect, and future tenses, and it also applies similarly to related verbs like cerrar in other stems.
Present Tense Conjugation with the e → ie Shift
Present Indicative: preferir
In the present indicative, preferir is conjugated as follows. Note how the stem change occurs in all forms except nosotros and vosotros:
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | prefiero | I prefer |
| tú | prefieres | you prefer (informal) |
| él/ella/usted | prefiere | he/she prefers / you prefer (formal) |
| nosotros/nosotras | preferimos | we prefer |
| vosotros/vosotras | preferís | you prefer (informal, Spain) |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | prefieren | they prefer / you prefer (formal plural) |
Preterite Tense: Did You Prefer?
Preterite Indicative: preferir
The preterite records completed actions in the past. With preferir, the same e → ie stem change appears in all forms except nosotros and vosotros:
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | preferí | I preferred |
| tú | preferiste | you preferred (informal) |
| él/ella/usted | prefirió | he/she preferred / you preferred (formal) |
| nosotros/nosotras | preferimos | we preferred |
| vosotros/vosotras | preferisteis | you preferred (informal, Spain) |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | prefirieron | they preferred / you preferred (formal plural) |
Imperfect Indicative: Was Preferring
For ongoing or habitual past actions, use the imperfect. In this tense, the stem reverts to the regular e without the shift:
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | prefería | I was preferring / I preferred |
| tú | preferías | you were preferring / you preferred |
| él/ella/usted | prefería | he/she was preferring / he/she preferred |
| nosotros/nosotras | preferíamos | we were preferring / we preferred |
| vosotros/vosotras | preferíais | you were preferring / you preferred |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | preferían | they were preferring / they preferred |
Other Important Tenses with the Stem Change
Future Tense: Will Prefer
In the future tense, preferir remains regular, but the stem change is still present in all forms:
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | preferiré | I will prefer |
| tú | preferirás | you will prefer |
| él/ella/usted | preferirá | he/she will prefer / you will prefer (formal) |
| nosotros/nosotras | preferiremos | we will prefer |
| vosotros/vosotras | preferiréis | you will prefer (informal, Spain) |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | preferirán | they will prefer / you will prefer (formal plural) |
Conditional Tense: Would Prefer
In the conditional, the stem change continues, and the endings are added to the future stem:
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | preferiría | I would prefer |
| tú | preferirías | you would prefer |
| él/ella/usted | preferiría | he/she would prefer / you would prefer (formal) |
Present Subjunctive: Expressions of Preference and Desire
Present Subjunctive: preferir
The present subjunctive also follows the e → ie shift in most persons:
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | prefiera | that I prefer |
| tú | prefieras | that you prefer (informal) |
| él/ella/usted | prefiera | that he/she prefers / that you prefer (formal) |
| nosotros/nosotras | prefiramos | that we prefer |
| vosotros/vosotras | prefiráis | that you prefer (informal, Spain) |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | prefieran | that they prefer / that you prefer (formal plural) |
Imperfect Subjunctive: Preferred or Was Preferring
There are two common forms for the imperfect subjunctive. With the first option, the stem carries the e → ie shift:
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | prefiriera (o prefiese) | I preferred / I would prefer |
| tú | prefirieras (o prefieses) | you preferred / you would prefer |
| él/ella/usted | prefiriera (o prefiese) | he/she preferred / you preferred (formal) |
| nosotros/nosotras | prefiriéramos (o prefiésemos) | we preferred / we would prefer |
| vosotros/vosotras | prefirierais (o prefieseis) | you preferred / you would prefer |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | prefirieran (o prefiesen) | they preferred / you preferred (formal plural) |
Negative Commands and Informal Commands: Use with preferir
Negative and Affirmative Tú Commands
For informal commands, preferir has a regular command form without stem change, despite the present indicative change:
| Form | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative tú | prefiere | prefer! |
| Negative tú | no prefieras | don’t prefer! |
| Affirmative usted | prefiera | prefer! (formal) |
| Negative usted | no prefiera | don’t prefer! (formal) |
Negative and Affirmative Ustedes/ellos/ellas Commands
In the formal plural and third-person plural commands, the stem change reappears:
| Form | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative ustedes | prefieran | prefer! (formal plural) |
| Negative ustedes | no prefieran | don’t prefer! (formal plural) |
| Affirmative ellos/ellas | prefieran | they prefer! (commands via subjunctive, contextual) |
| Negative ellos/ellas | no prefieran | don’t prefer! (they/formal plural, contextual) |
Quick Reference: preferir Conjugation Summary
| Tense | Stem | Example (yo) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present Indicative | prefier- | prefiero | e → ie except nosotros/vosotros |
| Preterite | prefir- | preferí | e → ie except nosotros/vosotros |
| Imperfect | prefer- | prefería | No stem change in this tense |
| Future | preferir- | preferiré | No special endings; stem change present |
| Conditional | preferir- | preferiría | Same stem as future |
| Present Subjunctive | prefier- | prefiera | e → ie except nosotros/vosotros |
| Imperfect Subjunctive | prefir- / prefer- | prefiriera | Two forms; one retains the shift |
Practice Tips and Common Contexts for preferir
Use prefiero to state likes in the present: Prefiero el té por la mañana. For past completed choices, choose the preterite: Preferí la opción rápida. Ongoing past preferences belong to the imperfect: Cuando viajaba, prefería escuchar música. In questions and uncertainty, the subjunctive appears after expressions like espero que or prefiero que: Espero que prefieras descansar. The stem change is reliable across tenses once you spot the e → ie pattern, making it easier to predict forms for similar verbs.
Related Verbs and Patterns
Other common verbs with the same e → ie stem change include cerrar (to close), entender (to understand), and mentir (to lie). While each has its own irregularities, the vowel shift operates similarly in present and preterite tenses. Comparing these patterns helps build an intuitive sense for stem changes and supports accurate conjugation across verbs.
Common Mistakes to Avoid with preferir
- Applying the stem change to nosotros and vosotros present forms (remember: preferimos and preferís keep the e).
- Using the indicative stem instead of the subjunctive stem in dependent clauses (use prefier- in subjunctive contexts).
- Confusing the preterite prefirió with the conditional preferiría; context and endings clarify which is intended.
- Overgeneralizing the change to all tenses; the imperfect is a key exception where the stem remains prefer-.
Key Takeaways
- The verb preferir exhibits an e → ie stem change in most forms.
- The change is active in the present and preterite tenses for all persons except nosotros and vosotros.
- Imperfect forms and the nosotros/vosotros present forms keep the original e in the stem.
- Future and conditional tenses use the full stem preferir- with normal endings.
- Subjunctive forms mostly follow the same pattern as indicative, with the shift present except in nosotros/vosotros.