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Spanish · Grammar · A2

Por and para: two words for “for”

Por and para are prepositions: small words that link a noun to the rest of the sentence, like for, by, through or to. Both can translate “for”, but they look in opposite directions. Para points forward to a goal, destination, deadline or recipient. Por looks back at a cause, or describes the route, exchange or means along the way.

para →goal, destination, deadline, recipient, opinion
← porcause, route, exchange, means, duration
SALGO PARA SEVILLA. PASO POR TOLEDO. Madrid Toledo porthrough Sevilla paratowards I’m leaving for Seville. I’m going through Toledo.
Para is the end point; por is the ground you cover on the way. Most uses of each grow from this picture.

Uses of para: looking ahead

Every use of para has an end point in view. If you can rephrase with “in order to”, “intended for”, “towards” or “by (a deadline)”, it is para.

Purpose: in order to
Ahorro(I) saveparain-order-toviajar.travel
ah-OH-rroh PAH-rah bee-ah-HAR “I’m saving to travel.” Why: Para + an infinitive (the “to” form) gives the reason in the sense of a goal.
Recipient
Estethiscafécoffeeesisparaforti.you
ES-teh kah-FEH es PAH-rah tee “This coffee is for you.” Why: Who will receive it. After para, “you” is ti and “me” is mí.
Destination
ElthetrentrainparatoBilbao.Bilbao
el tren PAH-rah beel-BAH-oh “The train to Bilbao.” Why: Where something is heading, its end point.
Deadline
Es(it) isparaformañana.tomorrow
es PAH-rah mah-NYAH-nah “It’s due tomorrow.” Why: A point in time something must be ready by.
Opinion
Paraformí,mees(it) isfácil.easy
PAH-rah mee es FAH-theel “For me, it’s easy.” Why: Para + person introduces a point of view: “in my opinion”.
Comparison with what’s expected
Habla(he) speaksbienwellparaforunaniño.child
AH-blah byen PAH-rah oon NEE-nyoh “He speaks well for a child.” Why: Measured against a standard: considering he is a child.

Uses of por: cause and the way through

Por covers more ground. Its uses fall into two families: the reason behind something (because of, on behalf of), and the path or medium it travels through (through, along, by, per, in exchange for).

Cause, reasoncause
Loithago(I) doporforti.you
loh AH-goh por tee “I’m doing it for you (because of you).”
Why: You are the reason, not the recipient. Compare para ti: it is meant for you.
Movement through or alongway through
Paseamos(we) strollporalonglatheplaya.beach
pah-seh-AH-mohs por lah PLAH-yah “We’re walking along the beach.”
Why: The ground covered, not the end point.
Durationway through
Viví(I) livedallíthereporforunaaño.year
bee-BEE ah-YEE por oon AH-nyoh “I lived there for a year.”
Why: Time passed through. Often left out entirely: viví allí un año.
Exchange, priceway through
Loitcompré(I) boughtporforcincofiveeuros.euros
loh kom-PREH por THEEN-koh EH-oo-rohs “I bought it for five euros.”
Why: One thing given in exchange for another.
Means of communication or transportway through
Teto-youllamo(I) callporbyteléfono.phone
teh YAH-moh por teh-LEH-foh-noh “I’ll call you on the phone.”
Why: The channel the message travels through. Also por correo (by post), por tren (by train).
Rate: perway through
Ciena-hundredkilómetroskilometresporperhora.hour
thyen kee-LOH-meh-trohs por OH-rah “A hundred kilometres an hour.”
Why: How much for each unit. Also el diez por ciento, ten per cent.
Part of the dayway through
Trabajo(I) workporinlathemañana.morning
trah-BAH-hoh por lah mah-NYAH-nah “I work in the morning.”
Why: A stretch of time the action spreads through: por la tarde, por la noche.
Agent in the passivecause
EscritowrittenporbyCervantes.Cervantes
es-KREE-toh por ther-BAHN-tes “Written by Cervantes.”
Why: Who did the action, when the sentence starts with what was done.

“Thank you for” is always por: gracias por todo (thanks for everything). You are thanking someone because of something they did, so it is a cause, not a goal.

Same sentence, two meanings

Swapping por and para in these sentences keeps the grammar correct but changes what you mean. They are the clearest way to feel the difference between the two.

parque Camino para el parque.KAH-mee-noh PAH-rah el PAR-keh · I walk towards the park. parque Camino por el parque.KAH-mee-noh por el PAR-keh · I walk through the park.
The same picture explains most uses. Para: goal, destination, deadline, purpose (the arrow’s end). Por: route, cause, exchange, duration (the path the arrow takes).
Trabajo para Ana.“I work for Ana (she’s my boss).”para · Ana is the recipient of my work
Trabajo por Ana.“I’m working in Ana’s place.”por · on Ana’s behalf
Fui para el centro.“I headed towards the centre.”para · destination
Fui por el centro.“I went through / around the centre.”por · route
Es para mí.“It’s for me (to keep).”para · recipient
Es por mí.“It’s because of me.”por · cause
Estudio para el examen.“I’m studying for the exam (my goal).”para · goal
Estudio por el examen.“I’m studying because of the exam.”por · the reason pushing me

Fixed expressions with por

Many everyday phrases are built with por. Learn them as whole units, the way you learned por favor.

Para has fewer fixed phrases; the most useful are para siempre (forever), para nada (not at all) and ¿para qué? (what for?). Compare ¿por qué? (why?, asking for a cause) with ¿para qué? (what for?, asking for a purpose). Question words carry an accent, as explained in stress and written accents.

Check yourself

Pick por or para. The reason appears once you choose.

Estudio ___ ser médica. I’m studying to become a doctor.
Gracias ___ tu ayuda. Thanks for your help.
Caminamos ___ el parque. We walked through the park.
El regalo es ___ mi madre. The present is for my mother.
Lo necesito ___ el viernes. I need it by Friday.
Pagué diez euros ___ el libro. I paid ten euros for the book.

Where to go next

Next guideThe subjunctivePara que + subjunctive: “so that”. Next guideSer and estarAnother pair English merges into one word. Next guidePreterite and imperfectThe two past tenses used in these examples. Course mapSpanish hubThe full course map.