Por and Para

Overview

POR PARA
1. “for”

  • exchange
  • substitution
  • action in favor of someone/thing
  • motivation
  • feeling
  • period of time (also “in”)
  • a quality

“by”

  • agent in passive voice
  • general location
  • means
1. “for”

  • use
  • recipient
  • time to which something is deferred
  • comparison to a group

“by”

  • deadline
2. Reason

  • “due to”
  • “because of”

Route

  • “by”
  • “through”
  • “along”
  • “around”
2. Objective

  • “in order to”

Destination

  • “to”
  • “for”

 

3. If you feel you should use por and para,use neither. Use an indirect object pronoun. 3. If you feel you should use por and para,use neither. Use an indirect object pronoun.
4. Many idiomatic expressions 4. Very few idiomatic expressions
5. Remaining uses

  • “per”
  • “by”, “times” for multiplication
  • “just to”
  • “for the sake of”
  • “yet to” (with estar)
5. Remaining uses

  • “to” (opinion or perspective)
  • “at” (aptitude)
  • “about to” (with estar)
  • “up for” (with estar)

Tutorial: Introduction, The Same in English

Tutorial: Contrasting Meanings

Tutorial: Barking Up The Wrong Tree

Tutorial: Idiomatic Expressions

Common idiomatic expressions with por

por favor – please
por ejemplo – for example
por fin – finally
por supuesto – of course
por eso – that’s why, because of that
por lo menos – at least
por todas partes – everywhere
por ninguna parte – nowhere
por lo general – generally
por si acaso – just in case
por separado – separately
por lo tanto – therefore, consequently

Tutorial: Remaining Uses