Portuguese Phrase
Não muito, prefiro andar de bicicleta.
Meaning
The speaker is saying that they don’t like something ‘a lot’, and that they would rather ride a bicycle. It’s a polite way to express a moderate preference without sounding dismissive.
When to use
Use this sentence when someone asks you about a habit, a hobby, or a mode of transport and you want to indicate a mild dislike for the suggested option while stating your own preference for cycling.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Nãomuitoprefiroandardebicicleta
Negation (Não)
‘Não’ is used before a verb or adjective to make a negative statement.
Adverb of degree (muito)
‘Muito’ modifies adjectives or verbs and means ‘very’ or ‘a lot’.
Verb ‘preferir’ (prefiro)
‘Prefiro’ is the first‑person singular present of ‘preferir’, meaning ‘I prefer’.
Infinitive after ‘preferir’ (andar)
When ‘preferir’ is followed by another action, the second verb stays in the infinitive.
Preposition ‘de’
‘De’ links the infinitive verb to the means of transport, similar to ‘by’ in English.
Noun (bicicleta)
‘Bicicleta’ is a feminine noun meaning ‘bicycle’.
🗨In Conversation
Você gosta de correr?
Do you like running?
Não muito, prefiro andar de bicicleta.
Not much, I prefer to ride a bicycle.
✕Common Mistakes
Não muito, prefiro andar a bicicleta.
The preposition after ‘andar’ is ‘de’, not ‘a’.
Não muito, preferir andar de bicicleta.
If you want to use the infinitive ‘preferir’, you must conjugate it: ‘prefiro’. Using the infinitive ‘preferir’ is incorrect here.
Não, muito prefiro andar de bicicleta.
Placing a comma after ‘não’ changes the meaning; keep the phrase together as ‘Não muito’.
↔Alternatives
Não muito, eu gosto mais de bicicleta.
Not much, I like the bicycle more.
Não sou muito fã, prefiro usar a bicicleta.
I’m not a big fan, I prefer using the bicycle.
Não muito, mas prefiro pedalar.
Not a lot, but I prefer to pedal.
Cultural Tip
Cycling is popular in many Brazilian cities, especially in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, where bike lanes (ciclovias) have expanded in recent years. Saying you prefer a bike can be seen as eco‑friendly and health‑conscious. However, be aware that in some regions people still associate bicycles with lower‑status transport, so the tone can shift depending on the listener’s background.