preferíamos

Preferíamos is the first-person plural imperfect indicative form of the Portuguese verb preferir, meaning to prefer. It describes past actions that were habitual or ongoing, or a background situation in narration. The form is built from the infinitive preferir with the imperfect ending -íamos, and there is no stem change in this tense.

Etymology and grammar: Preferir derives from Latin praeferre, literally “to bear before” or “to prefer,” from prae- “before” + ferre “to carry/bring.” In the imperfect, the verb follows standard -ir verb endings, resulting in preferíamos for nós (we). The accent on í marks the stressed syllable in this form.

Usage: Preferíamos is used to express a past preference or a habitual choice. For example: “Naquela época, nós preferíamos ficar em casa” (At that time we preferred to stay home). “Quando éramos crianças, preferíamos jogos simples” (When we were children, we preferred simple games). It contrasts with preferiríamos, the conditional form meaning “we would prefer,” used for hypothetical situations or polite offers.

Related forms: Other conjugations of preferir include eu prefiro (present), eu preferi (simple past), eu preferia (imperfect singular), and the future/preterite variants such as preferirei and preferirei. The noun preferência denotes a preference. In Brazilian and European Portuguese alike, preferimos and related forms function similarly in everyday use.