Language/Spanish/Grammar/Por-vs-Para
In today's lesson, we are studying something that may seem difficult for many Spanish learners:
when to use "POR" or "PARA"?
Together, let's discover how to avoid confusing these two words and avoid many errors!
- "POR": it refers to the cause. A cause is the reason for an action producing a result. We can use the following English expression: "due to".
- "PARA": it is used to express purpose. The purpose is an object to be reached or a goal. We can use the following English expression: "in order to".
Unfortunately, there's bad news:
- There are exceptions to this rule! Else, it would be a piece of cake! :)
- The only way to master these exceptions is to learn them by heart and gradually.
As usual, do not expect to master the use of these two words by reading this lesson once.
I'm going to teach you to differentiate between these two words.
I suggest you to write down all the difficulties you encounter. It will enhance your progress and gradually quicken your memory.
Let's begin!
"POR"
The cause
- Es famoso por su canción
He is famous because of this song
Pass through a space
"pasar por"
- él pasó por aquí
He went through here
Time of the day
"por la mañana, por la tarde, por la noche."
- Por la mañana, suelo desayunar mucho.
In the morning, I usually eat a lot for breakfast
A feeling
- Me apasiono por el español.
I am passionate about Spanish language
- Tengo asco por el alemán.
I am disgusted by German language
Price
- Lo he comprado por diez euros.
I bought it for ten euros
Thanks for something
"Thanks for" will always be translated by "gracias por"
- Gracias por leer este artículo.
Thanks for reading this article
Verbs always followed by "por"
Examples:
- Me preocupo por tu salud
I am worried about your health
- Me intereso por tu historia.
I'm interested in your story
- Disculpa por el retraso
I apologize for being late
List
Spanish | English |
---|---|
afanarse por | to strive to |
asustarse por | to get frightened about |
cambiar por | to exchange for |
comenzar por | to begin with |
decidirse por | to decide on |
desvelarse por | to be very concerned about |
disculparse por | to apologize for |
esforzarse por | to struggle to |
estar por | to be in favor of |
interesarse por | to be interested in |
jurar por | to swear by |
luchar por | to struggle for |
molestarse por | to bother about |
optar por | to opt for |
pagar por | to pay with |
preguntar por | to ask about |
preocuparse por | to worry about |
rezar por | to pray for |
salir por | to leave via |
ser decidido por | to be decided by |
tomar por | to take for |
viajar por (tren, autobús) | to travel by (train, bus) |
votar por | to vote for |
"PARA"
purpose
- El regalo es para los lectores del blog.
The gift is for blog readers.
goal
- Para practicar español, no es necesario vivir en un país hispanohablante.
To learn Spanish, you do not have to live in a Spanish speaking country.
recipient
- Este regalo es para ti.
This gift is for you
point of view
- Para mí, es importante viajar.
For me it is important to travel.
scheduled date
- Para el 20 de mayo, hay que aprender esta lección.
For May 20, you have to learn this lesson.
Expressions using "para"
"estar para"
This expression is used to indicate an action that is about to be realized:
- Estamos para terminar la lección de hoy.
We are about to finish today's lesson.
List of expressions
Spanish | English |
---|---|
para abajo | down, downward |
para adelante | forward |
para detrás | backward |
para entonces | by that time |
para esa época | by that time |
para otra vez | for another occasion |
para que | so that, in order that |
para qué | why for what purpose |
para siempre | forever |
para variar | just for a change |
ser tal para cual | to be two of a kind |
Videos
Sources
- https://espagnol-pas-a-pas.fr/por-et-para-comment-enfin-ne-plus-les-confondre/
- https://www.fluentu.com/blog/spanish/spanish-verbs-with-prepositions/
- https://www.lawlessspanish.com/grammar/verbs/verbs-with-por/
- https://www.spanishdict.com/guide/expressions-with-por-and-para/