Meaning
En anglais, l'expression « I prefer » est utilisée pour exprimer une préférence ou un choix entre deux ou plusieurs options. Elle signifie littéralement « Je préfère » en français. Cette expression est souvent suivie d'un nom ou d'un verbe à l'infinitif pour indiquer ce que vous préférez par rapport à autre chose.
Par exemple, si vous aimez davantage le thé que le café, vous pourriez dire : « I prefer tea to coffee » (Je préfère le thé au café). Ou bien, si vous préférez lire plutôt que regarder la télévision, vous pourriez dire : « I prefer reading to watching TV » (Je préfère lire que regarder la télévision).
Utiliser « I prefer » permet donc de communiquer vos goûts personnels de manière claire et directe. C'est une expression couramment utilisée dans des conversations quotidiennes et elle est essentielle pour exprimer vos préférences de manière polie et précise.
Today's Sentences
- I prefer coffee to tea.
- I prefer yoga to pilates.
- I prefer small groups to large ones.
- I prefer dark clothing to light clothing.
- I prefer working alone to working with others.
- Writer's Note
01
I prefer coffee to tea.
Situation 1
May I get you something to drink?
Do you have any hot drinks on the menu?
For hot beverages we have coffee and tea.
I prefer coffee to tea.
I’ll have mine black please.
Je le prendrai noir, s'il vous plaît.
Situation 2
It's getting chilly.
I feel like drinking something warm.
J'ai envie de boire quelque chose de chaud.
I can brew up some coffee or tea for you?
I prefer coffee to tea, please.
No problem.
I’ll have a hot cup of coffee ready for you in a few minutes.
Je vous préparerai une tasse de café chaud dans quelques minutes.
02
I prefer yoga to pilates.
Situation 1
I love your yoga pants.
Thanks!
Are you taking the yoga or pilates class?
I prefer yoga to pilates.
I’m here for the Ashtanga Morning class.
Je suis ici pour le cours du matin Ashtanga.
Situation 2
I’ve tried everything from running to boxing and I still feel stressed out.
Have you tried yoga or pilates?
No, I haven’t.
What would you suggest?
Que me suggéreriez-vous ?
I prefer yoga to pilates.
Yoga incorporates meditation which may reduce stress.
Le yoga intègre la méditation, ce qui peut réduire le stress.
03
I prefer small groups to large ones.
Situation 1
Did you have fun at the party?
Well, I prefer small groups to large ones.
So I had more fun when I found someone to talk to.
Donc, j'ai pris plus de plaisir lorsque j'ai trouvé quelqu'un à qui parler.
I understand.
I’m like that too.
Je suis comme ça aussi.
It always feels like it’s an extroverts world.
Situation 2
Is everything ok?
You seem really quiet.
Vous semblez vraiment silencieux.
I’m fine.
I just prefer small groups to large ones.
Je préfère simplement les petits groupes aux grands.
I’m sorry.
I didn’t know.
Je ne savais pas.
That’s ok.
You can’t avoid large crowds all the time.
Vous ne pouvez pas éviter les grandes foules tout le temps.
04
I prefer dark clothing to light clothing.
Situation 1
I see you wear a lot of black shirts.
I prefer dark clothing to light clothing.
My boyfriend thinks the same.
He says he doesn’t want to spend energy deciding on what color shirt to wear.
Il dit qu'il ne veut pas dépenser d'énergie à décider quelle couleur de chemise porter.
Seems like your boyfriend and I are on the same page.
Situation 2
What are you wearing to the wedding?
I prefer dark clothing to light clothing.
Especially in the winter months.
Surtout pendant les mois d'hiver.
Ok, I’ll wear a black dress to match then.
I never understand why some people wear white to someone else’s wedding.
05
I prefer working alone to working with others.
Situation 1
Our team lead was impressed with your background.
Thank you.
We’d like to offer you a position where you can choose to work remotely or in an open office setting.
I prefer working alone to working with others.
Situation 2
I see so many of my colleagues working from home nowadays.
The pandemic really changed the rules of going into the office to work.
How about you?
I prefer working alone to working with others as well.
Writer's Note
In the examples above, we learned how to use "I prefer" noun "to" noun. You can also use "'d prefer", followed by a to-infinitive or a noun, to talk about present and future preferences.
- I'd prefer the apple pie.
- We'd prefer to drink non-alcoholic beverages.
- She'd prefer to spend the day outdoors.
- He'd prefer a seat closer to the window, please.
- Would you prefer to drive?
We can introduce the second thing with "rather than", followed by an infinitive without to.
- I'd prefer the apple pie rather than the chocolate lava cake.
- We'd prefer the drink non-alcoholic rather than alcoholic beverages.
- She'd prefer to spend the day outdoors rather than stay indoors.
- He'd prefer a seat closer to the window rather than an aisle seat.
- Would you prefer to drive rather than walk?
I can't believe we've reached Week 16 together! Thanks for following and studying with us on this long journey. Your efforts are worth gold! 😎👌🔥 Keep it up!