Prefiero usar la bufanda roja cuando hace frío.

I prefer to wear the red scarf when it’s cold.

Breakdown of Prefiero usar la bufanda roja cuando hace frío.

• yo: I
• hacer: to make
• cuando: when
• preferir: to prefer

Questions & Answers about Prefiero usar la bufanda roja cuando hace frío.

Why is it prefiero and not yo prefiero?

In Spanish, the subject pronoun is often omitted because the verb ending already tells you who is doing the action.

• prefiero = I prefer
• The -o ending shows yo

So Prefiero usar... is completely natural. You would add yo only for emphasis, contrast, or clarity:

• Yo prefiero usar la bufanda roja, pero él prefiere la azul.

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 prefiere
• nosotros preferimos
• vosotros preferís
• ellos prefieren

So prefiero is the correct yo form.

Why is usar in the infinitive?

After a conjugated verb like prefiero, the next verb usually stays in the infinitive when the subject is the same.

So:

• Prefiero usar... = I prefer to use/wear...

This works like English I prefer to wear.

More examples:

• Quiero comer.
• Necesito estudiar.
• Prefiero esperar.