Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Prefiero trabajar sin supervisión en casa. - I prefer to work without supervision at home.

Prefiero is the first-person singular (yo) present form of the verb preferir, which means “to prefer.” It’s a stem-changing verb (e → ie), so the “e” in the root prefer- becomes ie in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.

Why is trabajar in the infinitive here instead of a conjugated form?

In Spanish, when one verb (like prefiero) is immediately followed by another that describes the action you’re preferring, the second verb stays in the infinitive. So prefiero trabajar literally means “I prefer to work,” with trabajar unchanged.

Why is there no article before supervisión (e.g., not sin la supervisión)?

After sin (“without”), Spanish typically omits the definite article. You say sin dinero, sin prisa, sin supervisión—all without “el” or “la.”

Could I use a verb form instead of the noun supervisión?

Not directly after sin. Sin requires a noun. If you want a verb idea you’d need a clause: sin que me supervisen (“without them supervising me”), which uses the subjunctive.

What’s the difference between sin supervisión and sin que me supervisen?

• Sin supervisión is shorter and uses a single noun (“without supervision”).
• Sin que me supervisen literally means “without them supervising me,” emphasizes the action and requires the subjunctive (supervisen).

Can I say Prefiero trabajar solo en casa instead?

Solo means “alone,” focusing on being by yourself, not necessarily on lacking oversight. If you say trabajar solo, people might think you mean “without coworkers,” not “without a boss watching.”

Is en casa interchangeable with desde casa?

• En casa means “at home” (your location).
• Desde casa means “from home” (the starting point of your work).
Both are correct, but the nuance changes a bit—“from home” vs. “at home.”

Can I reorder the sentence, for example Prefiero trabajar en casa sin supervisión?

Yes, that order is also perfectly natural. You’ll hear both Prefiero trabajar sin supervisión en casa and Prefiero trabajar en casa sin supervisión. Spanish word order is fairly flexible.

How would I ask “Do you prefer to work without supervision at home?” in Spanish?

Change prefiero to prefieres and add question marks:
¿Prefieres trabajar sin supervisión en casa?

What are some synonyms for supervisión I could use?

• Vigilancia – more about watchful attention
• Control – emphasizes oversight or regulation
• Dirección – suggests management or leadership
Choose depending on the nuance you want.