prefieren

Prefieren is a form of the Spanish verb preferir, specifically the third-person plural present indicative, meaning they prefer or you all prefer (usted/es) in many regional varieties. It is used with ellos, ellas, or ustedes as the subject.

Preferir is a stem-changing verb in the present tense. In most present forms, the stem changes from e to ie, but the nosotros and vosotros forms preserve the original stem. The present tense forms are: yo prefiero, tú prefieres, él/ella/usted prefiere, nosotros preferimos, vosotros preferís, ellos/ellas/ustedes prefieren. Therefore, prefieren corresponds to the ellos/ellas/ustedes form.

Etymology traces preferir to the Latin praeferre, from prae- “before” and ferre “to carry.” The modern Spanish verb retains the sense of placing one thing before another or choosing one option over another.

Usage notes and examples:

- Prefieren el chocolate a la vainilla. (They prefer chocolate to vanilla.)

- Prefieren ir al cine en lugar de quedarse en casa. (They prefer to go to the cinema rather than stay home.)

- Prefieren que llegues temprano. (They prefer that you arrive early.)

- En consultas, algunos pacientes prefieren tratamientos menos invasivos. (In consultations, some patients prefer less invasive treatments.)

Prefieren is commonly used to express a choice or recommendation when comparing options, and it can govern nouns, infinitives, or clauses with subjunctive after “que.” It is a standard verb in everyday Spanish, with frequent appearance in conversation, journalism, and literature alike.