prefer
prefer — 動詞
1. to want or choose one person, thing, or plan more than another.
偏好；寧可
比較後更想選某個
to want or choose one person, thing, or plan more than another.
On hot days, Lina prefers tea to sweet milk drinks.
天氣熱的時候，Lina 比起甜牛奶飲料，更喜歡喝茶。
pattern: prefer A to B
Most children in our class prefer reading outside after lunch.
我們班上大多數孩子午餐後偏好在外面閱讀。
prefer + -ing form
At the hotel, many guests prefer to eat in their rooms.
在旅館裡，許多房客寧可在房間裡吃飯。
My grandparents prefer the small market near the station.
我祖父母比較喜歡車站附近的小市場。
When the bus is late, I prefer a short walk home.
公車誤點時，我寧可走一小段路回家。
- like better
more conversational and more personal in tone
- would rather
used especially before another verb for a particular situation
- favor
more formal and often used for policies, groups, or general tendencies
文法句型
prefer A to B
prefer doing something to doing something
prefer to do something
用法筆記
The comparison pattern is usually 'prefer A to B', not 'prefer A than B'. Both 'prefer doing' and 'prefer to do' are common. Distinguish from sense 2, which is a formal legal use.
常見錯誤
2. to state in a formal legal way that someone has committed a crime.
起訴；控告
正式提出刑事指控
to state in a formal legal way that someone has committed a crime.
Police decided to prefer charges against the truck driver after the crash.
車禍後，警方對那名卡車司機起訴。
legal pattern: decide to prefer charges against + person
New court papers show prosecutors preferred fraud charges in March.
到了星期五，檢察官已對那三名男子提出起訴。
No charges were preferred after the fight outside the bar.
酒吧外那場打鬥後，沒有人被正式起訴。
State lawyers preferred charges once the bank records arrived.
銀行紀錄一送到，州政府律師就正式起訴了。
文法句型
prefer charges against + person
prefer a charge
charges are preferred against + person
用法筆記
Usually used with legal nouns such as 'charges' or 'charge', often by police, prosecutors, or state lawyers. In everyday English, people normally say 'accuse' or 'charge' instead.