Prefiro esta maneira.

Prefiro means I prefer.

It is the first-person singular form of the verb preferir in the present indicative:

• eu prefiro = I prefer
• você prefere = you prefer
• ele/ela prefere = he/she prefers

So Prefiro esta maneira literally starts with I prefer.

In Portuguese, subject pronouns are often omitted when the verb already makes the subject clear.

Since prefiro can only mean I prefer, eu is not necessary.

So both of these are correct:

• Prefiro esta maneira.
• Eu prefiro esta maneira.

The version without eu is very natural.

Esta maneira means this way or this manner.

• esta = this
• maneira = way, manner

So the whole sentence means something like:

• I prefer this way.
• I prefer this manner.
• I prefer doing it this way. (depending on context)

In natural English, this way is usually the best match.

Because maneira is a feminine noun.

In Portuguese, demonstratives must agree with the noun’s gender and number:

• este = this, masculine singular
• esta = this, feminine singular

Since it is a maneira, not o maneira, you use esta maneira.

Traditionally:

• esta = this, near the speaker
• essa = that, near the listener or already mentioned

So in careful grammar, esta maneira means this way.

However, in everyday Brazilian Portuguese, people often use essa where older grammar would expect esta. So in real life, both may be heard depending on context:

• Prefiro esta maneira.
• Prefiro essa maneira.

Both are natural, but esta is perfectly correct and a bit more precise according to traditional grammar.

Portuguese often leaves things implied when the context is clear.

Prefiro esta maneira literally means I prefer this way, but in English we often say:

• I prefer doing it this way.
• I prefer this way.
• I prefer this method.

Portuguese does not need to spell out doing it if everyone already knows what action is being discussed.

Yes, maneira is a common word, but there are other natural options in Brazilian Portuguese depending on tone and context.

Common alternatives:

• Prefiro esta forma. = I prefer this form/way.
• Prefiro este jeito. = I prefer this way. (very common in everyday speech)
• Prefiro fazer assim. = I prefer to do it like this.

Notes:

• jeito is very common and conversational.
• forma can sound a bit more neutral or formal.
• maneira is natural and clear, but sometimes slightly more formal than jeito.

Not in this sentence.

In English, we say prefer this way or prefer to do it this way, but Portuguese uses preferir directly with the thing preferred:

• Prefiro esta maneira.
• Prefiro este jeito.
• Prefiro café.

You do sometimes see preferir X a Y, which means to prefer X to Y:

• Prefiro esta maneira à outra. = I prefer this way to the other one.

So a can appear when you compare two things, but it is not required just to say what you prefer.

Yes, but it means something slightly different.

• Prefiro esta maneira. = I prefer this way / this manner.
• Prefiro dessa maneira. = I prefer it that way / in that way.

Here, dessa maneira means in that way or that way. It is very common when talking about how something should be done.

For example:

• Prefiro fazer dessa maneira. = I prefer to do it that way.

So both are possible, but they are not structured exactly the same.

Prefiro esta maneira is the normal order.

Portuguese usually follows:

• verb + object

So:

• Prefiro esta maneira.

You could add emphasis in other ways, but the basic sentence is best left as it is.

For example:

• Eu prefiro esta maneira. (adds emphasis to *I)*
• Esta maneira eu prefiro. (possible, but more marked or contrastive)

For a learner, Prefiro esta maneira is the safest and most natural form.

A broad Brazilian pronunciation would sound roughly like:

preh-FEE-ro EH-sta mah-NAY-ra

A few helpful details:

• prefiro: the stress is on fi
• esta: the stress is on es
• maneira: the stress is on nei

Approximate syllables:

• pre-fi-ro
• es-ta
• ma-nei-ra

In many Brazilian accents:

• the final o in prefiro sounds like u
• the final a in esta and maneira is softer, closer to uh

So you may hear something close to: preh-FEE-ru EH-sta mah-NAY-ruh

A Brazilian could definitely say Prefiro esta maneira, and it is correct.

But in everyday speech, depending on the situation, you might more often hear:

• Prefiro desse jeito.
• Prefiro assim.
• Eu prefiro assim.
• Prefiro fazer assim.

These are often more conversational.

So:

• Prefiro esta maneira = correct and natural
• Prefiro assim / Prefiro desse jeito = often more common in casual spoken Brazilian Portuguese

You would make both the demonstrative and the noun plural:

• Prefiro estas maneiras.

Breakdown:

• esta → estas
• maneira → maneiras

So:

• esta maneira = this way
• estas maneiras = these ways

Even so, in real conversation, people are often more likely to say something simpler, depending on meaning, such as Prefiro estas opções or Prefiro esses jeitos.