Prefiero esa ruta porque hay menos tráfico.

I prefer that route because there is less traffic.

Breakdown of Prefiero esa ruta porque hay menos tráfico.

• yo: I
• porque: because
• esa: that
• preferir: to prefer

Questions & Answers about Prefiero esa ruta porque hay menos tráfico.

Why is it prefiero and not prefero?

Because preferir is a stem-changing verb. In the present tense, the e in the stem changes to ie in most forms:

• yo prefiero
• tú prefieres
• él/ella/usted prefiere
• nosotros/nosotras preferimos
• vosotros/vosotras preferís
• ellos/ellas/ustedes prefieren

So prefiero is the correct I prefer form.

Why doesn’t the sentence say yo prefiero?

Spanish often leaves out subject pronouns when they are not needed, because the verb ending already shows who is doing the action.
Here, prefiero clearly means I prefer, so yo is optional.

• Prefiero esa ruta = I prefer that route
• Yo prefiero esa ruta = also correct, but more emphatic

You might include yo if you want contrast, for example: Yo prefiero esa ruta, pero él no.

Why is it esa ruta and not esta ruta?