Cactus Language Blog

Por and para – how to use these semingly similar Spanish words

Posted by simonager under Learning a language, Spanish

One aspect of Spanish that frustrates learners is knowing when to use por and when to use para. Both can be translated as ‘for’, but are not used in quite the same way as that English word, and have other meanings as well.

Usage of para
Para can be used to indicate purpose (for/in order to); a destination in space (toward/for); a time or deadline (by); a recipient (for); employment (for); and comparison (for/inspite of).

Below are examples illustrating the different uses of para:

Purpose
El jarrón es para flores (The vase is for flowers)
Es una buena pelicula para ver (It’s a good film to see)
Tengo que ahorrar dinero para comprar un coche nuevo (I have to save money to buy a new car)
Es demasiado caliente para salir (It’s too hot to go out)
Para aprender una idioma, necesita esucharla, leerla, hablarla e escribirla todo lo posible
(In order to learn a language, you have to listen, read, speak and write it as much as possible)

Destination
Ello salió para Barcelona (He left for Barcelona)
Ven para acá (Come over here)

Deadline/time
Necesito este informe para mañana. (I need this report by tomorrow)
Quisiera una habitación para tres noches (I’d like a room for three nights)

Recipient
Esta bebida es para ti (This drink is for you)
Tengo que escribir informe para mi jefe (I have to write a report for my boss)

Empolyment
¿Para quién trabajas? (Who do you work for?)
Trabajo para mi mismo (I work for myself)

Comparison
Para un hombre, cocina muy bien (For a man, he cooks very well)
Para ser un extranjero, habla muy bien (For [considering he is] a foreigner, he speaks very well)

The combination of para with estar is used to show that an action is about to be completed. For example, Esta tenida está para cerrar (This shop is about to close). When followed by sí, para becomes reflexive, e.g. Está hablando para sí (She’s talking to herself).

Usage of por
Por can be used to indicate a reason (why); an agent (by); a rate (of pay, speed, exchange, etc); a general location (around); a route (by way of, through, along, etc); approximate time (for, in); choice (for); cause (because of); motive (for, for the sake of); substitution (for, in place of).

Below are examples illustrating some of the different uses of por:

Reason
¿Por qué no dices más que tonterías? (Why are you talking nonsense?)

Agent
Los votos fueron contados por los voluntarios (The votes were counted by volunteers)

Rate
La velocidad máxima del tren es 300 kilómetros por hora
(The train’s maximum speed is 300km per hour)

Exchange
Pagé dos mil libres por el coche (I paid £2,000 for the car)

General location
Vive usted por aquí? (Do you live around here?)

Route / approximate time
Siempre camino por la playa por la tarde (I always walk along the beach in the evening)

Choice (in favour of)
El pueblo del EEUU votó por George Bush (The people of the USA voted for George Bush)

Cause (because of)
Hago esto por mi hermana, no por mí (I do this because of my brother, not me)

Substitution (in place of)
Ayer José trabajó por su hermano (Jose worked for his brother yesterday)

If you read and listen to a lot of Spanish, you’ll eventually develop an instinct for where to use para and where por.

About the author
Simon Ager runs a company that provides information and advice about languages mainly via the website www.omniglot.com.

Tags:examples, for, learning, Spanish, translate