Eu prefiro a salada sem molho.

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Breakdown of Eu prefiro a salada sem molho.

• preferir: to prefer
• a salada: the salad
• sem: without

Questions & Answers about Eu prefiro a salada sem molho.

Can I leave out eu and just say Prefiro a salada sem molho?

Yes. In Brazilian Portuguese, the subject pronoun is often omitted when the verb already makes the subject clear.

So both of these are natural:

• Eu prefiro a salada sem molho.
• Prefiro a salada sem molho.

Including eu can add emphasis, clarity, or contrast, such as I prefer it that way.

What verb is prefiro, and why does it end in -o?

Prefiro is the first-person singular form of the verb preferir, meaning to prefer.

Conjugation in the present tense:

• eu prefiro = I prefer
• você/ele/ela prefere = you/he/she prefers
• nós preferimos = we prefer
• vocês/eles/elas preferem = you all/they prefer

The ending -o is typical for many eu forms in the present tense.

Also note that preferir is slightly irregular because the stem changes:

• preferir
• eu prefiro
• você prefere

Why is it a salada instead of just salada?