Por and para can both translate as “for”, and that is exactly the problem. English uses one word where Spanish uses two, so you cannot translate your way to the right answer: you have to know what each one does.
Here are the uses I go through with my students, each with examples you could hear in Santa Teresa, the pairs of sentences that change meaning, and a short exercise at the end.
What is the difference between por and para?
Por looks back: it talks about the cause, the means, the path, the exchange or the duration. Para looks forward: it talks about the goal, the person who receives something, the destination or the deadline.
A trick that helps. Por looks back at the cause or along the path; para looks forward to the goal, the person or the deadline. Before you choose, ask yourself: am I explaining why or how — or what for and for whom?
POR: ten uses
Use por for the reason behind something, the way it happens and the route it takes.
| Use | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cause, motive or reason | No fui a la playa por la lluvia. Gracias por tu ayuda.I didn't go to the beach because of the rain. Thanks for your help. |
| 2 | Means: how something is sent or done | Te mando la foto por WhatsApp. Hablamos por teléfono.I'll send you the photo on WhatsApp. We spoke on the phone. |
| 3 | Place: through, along, around somewhere | Caminamos por la playa. El bus pasa por Cóbano. ¿Hay un cajero por aquí?We walked along the beach. The bus goes through Cóbano. Is there an ATM around here? |
| 4 | Time: duration, part of the day, frequency | Estudié por dos horas. Tengo clase por la tarde, dos veces por semana.I studied for two hours. I have class in the afternoon, twice a week. |
| 5 | Repetition: one after another | El vendedor pasa casa por casa. Revisamos el ejercicio frase por frase.The salesman goes house by house. We checked the exercise sentence by sentence. |
| 6 | Exchange or price | Pagué mil colones por un kilo de mangos. Te cambio mi tabla por tu bici.I paid a thousand colones for a kilo of mangoes. I'll swap my board for your bike. |
| 7 | Instead of, or on behalf of | Hoy doy yo la clase por mi compañero. Ella habla por todo el grupo.Today I'm teaching the class instead of my colleague. She speaks for the whole group. |
| 8 | Who does it, in the passive voice | El libro fue escrito por una autora costarricense.The book was written by a Costa Rican author. |
| 9 | Percentages and multiplication | Hay un 10 % (diez por ciento) de descuento. Tres por cuatro son doce.There's a 10 % (ten per cent) discount. Three times four is twelve. |
| 10 | Fixed expressions | ¡Por fin es viernes! Por eso estudio español. Por lo menos no llovió.Friday at last! That's why I study Spanish. At least it didn't rain. |
PARA: seven uses
Use para for where something is going: the goal, the person, the place or the date.
| Use | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Who receives it | Este regalo es para ti. Trabajo para una escuela de surf.This present is for you. I work for a surf school. |
| 2 | Purpose or goal | Estudio español para hablar con mis vecinos. ¿Para qué sirve esto?I study Spanish to talk to my neighbours. What is this for? |
| 3 | Destination | Mañana salgo para Santa Teresa. ¿Vas para la playa?Tomorrow I leave for Santa Teresa. Are you heading to the beach? |
| 4 | Deadline | Necesito la tarea para el lunes. ¿Para cuándo es el examen?I need the homework by Monday. When is the exam? |
| 5 | Opinion | Para mí, el casado es el mejor almuerzo.For me, the casado is the best lunch. |
| 6 | Para que + subjunctive | Te escribo para que sepas el horario. Habla despacio para que te entiendan.I'm writing so that you know the timetable. Speak slowly so that they understand you. |
| 7 | Comparison: considering that | Para ser principiante, hablas muy bien. Es muy alto para su edad.For a beginner, you speak very well. He is very tall for his age. |
Same sentence, different meaning
Change one word and the sentence says something else:
- Lo hice para ti. — you are the one who receives it · Lo hice por ti. — because of you, or in your place
- Mi hermano trabajó para mí. — I was the one he worked for · Mi hermano trabajó por mí. — he worked in my place
- Pagó $50 para el regalo. — he put $50 towards the present · Pagó $50 por el regalo. — the present cost $50
Practise
Fill in por or para. The sentences are in Spanish — reading them is part of the practice.
- Este café es ___ ti.
- Gracias ___ todo.
- Salimos ___ Montezuma a las ocho.
- Te llamo ___ teléfono mañana.
- Estudio español ___ viajar por Latinoamérica.
- Caminamos ___ la playa al atardecer.
- Necesito el informe ___ el viernes.
- Pagué veinte dólares ___ la tabla de surf.
See the answers
1) para; 2) por; 3) para; 4) por; 5) para; 6) por; 7) para; 8) por
Is it “gracias por” or “gracias para”?
Gracias por. You thank someone for a reason — the help, the coffee, everything — and reasons take por: gracias por todo, gracias por tu ayuda.
How do I choose between por and para with time?
Use por for how long something lasts, for a part of the day and for frequency: por dos horas, por la tarde, dos veces por semana. Use para for a deadline: la tarea es para el lunes.
Por and para are learned by using them, not by memorising a list. If you want to practise them in real conversations, we do exactly that in my classes, online or in person in Santa Teresa.
Ser vs estar: the DOCTOR and PLACE rules →
How the online Spanish classes work →
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