The Italian verb "preferire" means "to prefer" in English. It is a regular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "preferire" across all 5 tenses. New to Italian verbs? Start with the Italian verb guide.
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How to Conjugate "preferire" in the Present Tense
Presente indicativo Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | preferisco |
| tu | you (informal) | preferisci |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | preferisce |
| noi | we | preferiamo |
| voi | you all | preferite |
| loro | they | preferiscono |
Lui preferisce leggere un libro.
say it LOO-ee pre-feh-REE-sheh
He prefers to read a book.
In other languages
- French Il préfère lire un livre.
- German Er liest lieber ein Buch.
- Spanish Prefiere leer un libro.
- Dutch Hij leest liever een boek.
Io preferisco il caffè amaro.
say it ee-OH pre-feh-REE-skoh
I prefer bitter coffee.
In other languages
- French Je préfère le café amer.
- German Ich bevorzuge bitteren Kaffee.
- Spanish Prefiero el café amargo.
- Dutch Ik geef de voorkeur aan bittere koffie.
How to Conjugate "preferire" in the Past (completed) Tense
Passato prossimo Actions that finished in the recent past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | ho preferito |
| tu | you (informal) | hai preferito |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | ha preferito |
| noi | we | abbiamo preferito |
| voi | you all | avete preferito |
| loro | they | hanno preferito |
Lui ha preferito la montagna.
say it LWEE ah pre-feh-REE-toh lah mon-TAH-nyah
He preferred the mountains.
In other languages
- French Il préférait la montagne.
- German Er bevorzugte die Berge.
- Spanish Prefirió la montaña.
- Dutch Hij gaf de voorkeur aan de bergen.
Io ho preferito il caffè.
say it EE-oh oh pre-feh-REE-toh eel kaf-FEH
I preferred the coffee.
In other languages
- French Je préférais le café.
- German Ich bevorzugte den Kaffee.
- Spanish Preferí el café.
- Dutch Ik gaf de voorkeur aan de koffie.
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Try VerbPal FreeHow to Conjugate "preferire" in the Past (ongoing) Tense
Imperfetto Actions that were ongoing in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | preferivo |
| tu | you (informal) | preferivi |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | preferiva |
| noi | we | preferivamo |
| voi | you all | preferivate |
| loro | they | preferivano |
Lei preferiva leggere romanzi storici.
say it LAY preh-feh-REE-vah
She preferred reading historical novels.
In other languages
- French Elle préférait lire des romans historiques.
- German Sie las lieber historische Romane.
- Spanish Prefería leer novelas históricas.
- Dutch Zij las liever historische romans.
Io preferivo il caffè al tè.
say it ee-OH preh-feh-REE-voh
I preferred coffee to tea.
In other languages
- French Je préférais le café au thé.
- German Ich bevorzugte Kaffee gegenüber Tee.
- Spanish Preferí el café al té.
- Dutch Ik gaf de voorkeur aan koffie boven thee.
How to Conjugate "preferire" in the Future Tense
Futuro semplice Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | preferirò |
| tu | you (informal) | preferirai |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | preferirà |
| noi | we | preferiremo |
| voi | you all | preferirete |
| loro | they | preferiranno |
Lui preferirà studiare di mattina.
say it LOO-ee preh-feh-ree-RAH
He will prefer studying in the morning.
In other languages
- French Il préférera étudier le matin.
- German Er wird es bevorzugen, morgens zu lernen.
- Spanish Él preferirá estudiar por la mañana.
- Dutch Hij zal liever 's ochtends studeren.
Io preferirò il caffè al tè.
say it ee-OH preh-feh-ree-ROH
I will prefer coffee over tea.
In other languages
- French Je préférerai le café au thé.
- German Ich werde Kaffee dem Tee vorziehen.
- Spanish Preferiré el café al té.
- Dutch Ik zal koffie verkiezen boven thee.
How to Conjugate "preferire" in the Would (conditional) Tense
Condizionale presente Hypothetical actions| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| io | I | preferirei |
| tu | you (informal) | preferiresti |
| lui/lei | he/she/you (formal) | preferirebbe |
| noi | we | preferiremmo |
| voi | you all | preferireste |
| loro | they | preferirebbero |
Lei preferirebbe andare al cinema.
say it LAY preh-feh-REE-reh-beh
She would prefer to go to the cinema.
In other languages
- French Elle préférerait aller au cinéma.
- German Sie würde es vorziehen, ins Kino zu gehen.
- Spanish Ella preferiría ir al cine.
- Dutch Zij zou liever naar de bioscoop gaan.
Io preferirei un caffè amaro.
say it ee-OH preh-feh-REE-reh-ee
I would prefer a bitter coffee.
In other languages
- French Je préférerais un café amer.
- German Ich würde einen bitteren Kaffee bevorzugen.
- Spanish Preferiría un café amargo.
- Dutch Ik zou een bittere koffie verkiezen.
Frequently Asked Questions About "preferire"
Is "preferire" regular or irregular in Italian?
"Preferire" is a regular Italian verb that follows standard conjugation patterns for its verb group.
What does "preferire" mean in English?
The Italian verb "preferire" means "to prefer" in English.
How do you conjugate "preferire" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Presente indicativo): io → preferisco, tu → preferisci, lui/lei → preferisce, noi → preferiamo, voi → preferite, loro → preferiscono.
How many tenses does "preferire" have in Italian?
"Preferire" is conjugated across 5 tenses in Italian: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).
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