In today’s article on frequently asked questions about Spanish grammar, we will explain this difference.
At CELA Spanish School we explain the topic in the following way:
The use of prepositions is a bit of a tricky subject when learning languages.
We cannot translate them, and although it can be considered a grammar issue, it is also a vocabulary issue, which means that it can sometimes depend on the usage in the language.
However, prepositions are words, and because they are words, they have meaning.
por= expresses a cause
para= expresses a goal, objective or purpose.
(Read this article in Spanish)
As always, let’s take a closer look at this:
The problem is that in many languages por and para have the same meaning, and learners try to translate literally from their native language or from another language they have learned. On the other hand, as in the case of ser and estar, we have to choose between 2 concepts that we have to understand first.
In this case, they are the concepts of cause (why something happens) por and goal, purpose or aim (what you want to achieve or obtain or where you want to go) para
Moreover, this rule has many exceptions because there are many expressions and idioms.
We will not go into the details of all the exceptions so as not to make this article too long. We will only explain the most important uses.
At the end of this article, you will find a link to a video lesson on the subject that we have on our Youtube channel.
As we have already mentioned, the most common meaning of por is cause.
For example:
Gracias por el regalo.
No llegamos a tiempo por la lluvia o no llegamos a tiempo porque estaba lloviendo.
In porque and por qué we use the preposition por because we are talking about a cause.
We use para to express an aim, a goal, or a purpose.
For example:
Estudiamos mucho para hablar bien el español.
Este regalo es para mi madre.
La tarea de español es para mañana. (Goal in the time)
Pedimos un crédito para abrir nuestro negocio.
Vamos para Colombia. (The goal is a place). We can also say: Vamos a Colombia.
Practice:
As usual, we will do some exercises. The solutions are at the end of the exercise.
Exercise:
According to what we have explained, complete with the preposition por or para. If there are words you don’t know, consult the translator first. Remember to consult complete units of meaning as a phrase or a group of words to get a better result.
Ejemplo:
Gracias por venir a mi fiesta de cumpleaños.
- Estas flores son _____ mi madre.
- El coche estará reparado ______ mañana.
- Este jabón es _______ lavar la ropa blanca.
- Nos quedamos en casa _____ el mal tiempo.
- ¿____ qué llegas tan tarde?
- Estudio español ______ viajar por Suramérica.
- Trabajo_____ pagar mis estudios.
- La tarea de español es _______ el martes.
- Esta máquina es _______ hacer pan.
- Estoy un poco gordo _____ comer tantos dulces.
Solutions:
- Estas flores son para mi madre. (The goal is my mother)
- El coche estará reparado para mañana. (deadline, goal)
- Este jabón es para lavar la ropa blanca. (purpose)
- Nos quedamos en casa por el mal tiempo. (cause)
- ¿Por qué llegas tan tarde? (cause)
- Estudio español para viajar por Suramérica. (goal)
- Trabajo para pagar mis estudios. (goal)
- La tarea de español es para el martes. (deadline)
- Esta máquina es para hacer pan. (purpose)
- Estoy un poco gordo por comer tantos dulces. (cause)
Some expressions:
As we have already seen, there are several expressions with both prepositions that are not covered by the above explanations of por = cause, para = goal or purpose.
These are some of the most important:
Some expressions with por:
1. When we talk about exchanging money or things:
Cambiamos euros por dólares
Pagaremos por el taxi. (You can also say: pagar para algo)
Compré este libro por 5 dólares
Me alquilaron la casa por poco dinero.
2. With media:
Hablamos por teléfono.
Enviarán la mercancía por mensajería.
Viajaremos a casa de mis padres por avión. (You can also say en avión but not: con avión)
3. When we give an imprecise place:
El banco está por aquí cerca.
Creo que no hay un cine por aquí.
Los niños dejan sus juguetes por toda la casa.
4. When we indicate time in an imprecise way:
Por la mañana hago ejercicio en el gimnasio. (You can also say: en la mañana or a la mañana).
5. When we express duration in time:
Nos fuimos de excursión por 3 días. (In the sense of during)
Hice dieta por 5 semanas.
Estudié español por 5 años en la escuela.
6. With the verbs pasar y pasear
Mañana paso por tu casa a recoger a los niños.
Vamos a dar un paseo por la playa.
7. In the passive voice in Spanish. Passive sentences are formed with the verb ser and the preposition por.
La plaza fue inaugurada por el gobernador.
Esta obra fue pintada por Dalí.
There are certainly other expressions. We have only listed the most common ones. It is always important to observe the language and make hypotheses. At CELA, we believe that we need to think about the use of structures. We want students to understand and analyze, so they don’t have to memorize.
Some expressions with para:
There are many more expressions with por than with para. Let’s remember that para is used to express a goal or purpose in space and time.
These expressions are not covered by this meaning.
1. When we express our opinion or point of view:
Para mí, este problema tiene una solución muy fácil. (You can also say: en mi opinión o pienso que)
2. To express that something is missing:
Esta harina no es suficiente para hacer el pastel.
Faltan 5 minutos para las 12 de la noche.
3. Instead of a to indicate a place:
Vamos para la playa. (You can also say: a la playa)
This expression is kind of already included in the explanation we gave of para, since it expresses a destination in space: la playa is the destination. But we wanted to include the example in the expressions as well.
Hopefully with this information, the difference between the two prepositions is clearer.
When there are 2 options, we tend to take the easy way out, if it is not por it is para. I encourage you to take the time to think about the differences and apply what we have explained here. You will see that you will soon become an expert in the use of both prepositions.
Want to know more?
About the author: Sabine Loffler has a degree in Literature from UCV in Venezuela, a PhD in Hispanic Philology from UNED in Spain, a Specialist in Distance and Adult Education from UNED, has been teaching Spanish since 1992, is the founder of CELA Spanish School and is a Spanish teacher trainer.
Here you will find the link to the Video Lesson about por and para in our Youtube Channel: por or para?
You don´t remember the basic grammar terms and want to review them? In this link you have an article on the subject. Spanish grammar terms
Do you have more questions about Spanish grammar? Click here for more articles. Spanish Grammar questions
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