Portuguese Phrase
Prefiro comprar online.
Meaning
I prefer to shop online rather than in a physical store. The sentence expresses a personal habit or choice about where to make purchases.
When to use
Use this phrase when talking about your shopping habits, comparing offline and e‑commerce options, or recommending how you usually buy products.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Prefirocompraronline.
Preferir (present indicative)
‘Prefiro’ is the first‑person singular of the verb ‘preferir’, used to express a personal preference.
Infinitive as object
When a verb of preference (gostar, preferir, odiar…) is followed by another verb, the second verb stays in the infinitive.
Online (borrowed adverb)
‘Online’ is an English loanword used as an adverb meaning ‘on the internet’; it can also appear as ‘pela internet’ in more formal Portuguese.
🗨In Conversation
Prefiro comprar online.
I prefer to buy online.
Eu também! Assim consigo comparar preços mais facilmente.
Me too! That way I can compare prices more easily.
✕Common Mistakes
Prefiro comprar on line.
‘Online’ is written as a single word in Portuguese; splitting it creates a non‑standard form.
Prefiro comprar on‑line.
Hyphenating the loanword is unnecessary; keep it simple.
Prefiro comprar na interneto.
‘Internet’ does not take the article ‘o’; use ‘na internet’ or just ‘online’.
↔Alternatives
Gosto mais de comprar pela internet.
I like buying on the internet more.
Prefiro fazer compras online.
I prefer to do shopping online.
Eu prefiro comprar na internet.
I prefer to buy on the internet.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil and Portugal, ‘online’ is widely accepted in everyday speech, especially among younger speakers. In more formal writing you’ll often see ‘pela internet’ or ‘na internet’. Remember that many e‑commerce sites offer “frete grátis” (free shipping) as an extra incentive, so you might hear people say ‘comprei online porque o frete era grátis’.