Eu prefiro dormir em casa.

I prefer to sleep at home.

Breakdown of Eu prefiro dormir em casa.

• eu: I
• a casa: the house
• em: at
• preferir: to prefer
• dormir: to sleep

Questions & Answers about Eu prefiro dormir em casa.

Why do we say Eu prefiro instead of just Prefiro?

In Portuguese, starting a sentence with Eu (which means "I") emphasizes who is performing the action. However, in everyday speech, many Brazilians will simply say Prefiro dormir em casa without Eu, because the verb form prefiro already indicates the speaker is “I.” Both forms are correct.

What does the verb prefiro mean, and how is it conjugated?

Prefiro comes from the verb preferir (to prefer). In the present tense, the conjugation goes like this:
• Eu prefiro
• Você/Ele/Ela prefere
• Nós preferimos
• Vocês/Eles/Elas preferem
So, eu prefiro translates to “I prefer.”

How do I pronounce prefiro correctly in Brazilian Portuguese?

Focus on these syllables: pre-FI-ro. The stress is on the second syllable FI, which is pronounced similar to the “fea” in “feature” (but shorter), and the R sound is slightly softer than in English.

Is there a difference between saying em casa and na minha casa?

When you say em casa, it implies "at home" without specifying whose home, although it generally defaults to “my home.” Na minha casa is more explicit, meaning “in my house.” In practice, both can convey the same idea of being in your own place, but na minha casa is more specific.

Why is dormir in the infinitive form here?

When we use prefiro (or any verb expressing preference, desire, or obligation, like quero, preciso, etc.), we typically follow it with the infinitive form of the next verb. This structure is the same as saying "I prefer to sleep at home" in English. The Portuguese infinitive corresponds to the English “to + verb.”