How To Use “I’d Rather” VS “I Prefer”

Did you learn “I prefer” in elementary school?

Start using this natural expression instead!

How To Use “I’d Rather”

To express your opinion, instead of using “I prefer,” you can use “I’d rather.”

The expression is actually “I would rather” but in conversation we say, “I’d rather…”

To talk about things that you like, you can say:

I’d rather go to the south of France for Christmas instead of the north because it’s warmer.

He said that he’d rather stay at home instead of go to the big Christmas party.

Have you ever felt like you would rather live in the country instead of the city?

To talk about things you don’t like, you can say:

I’d rather not spend a lot of money for Christmas vacation and instead save it for summer vacation.

He said that he’d rather not take the bus because it takes too long.

A Sample Story

One of the things that surprised me when I lived in Korea was the shopping experience.

Personally, I don’t like shopping, and I’d rather just buy something quickly and leave.

But at big and small stores in Korea, whenever I was looking at some items to decide which one I was going to buy, the sales person would came and stand right beside me.

They asked me (in Korean) if I needed help, and when I said that I didn’t need any help, they didn’t go away.

I’d rather shop on my own without any help, unless I ask for it.

But even though they didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak much Korean, they didn’t let me shop on my own.

Maybe they were trying to give good customer service, but I’d rather be left alone.

I even asked my Korean coworkers if this was normal, and they said that it was, but it didn’t bother them.

I walked away without buying something A LOT because I felt too uncomfortable with someone watching me.

I’d rather not be stared at and instead just shop on my own.

But in the end, cultural differences are always interesting!

Now It’s Your Turn

In the comments below, write a sample sentence with this expression.

Tell me something that you’d rather do or something that you’d rather not do.