Using Por and Para

Learning Spanish would be a lot easier if it were simply a matter of translating word for word. But as you've doubtless seen already there are many instances where it's much more complicated than that. Often one word in English could be translated two different ways in Spanish (ser and estar for example) and vice versa. Spanish prepositions are a trouble spot as many of them have two or more meanings in English. Perhaps the most notorious Spanish prepositions are por and para. They can both mean "for" and it's not easy to know which one to use. Additionally, as you will see, they can both have other translations. Por and para can be difficult, but it's also important to learn the proper usage of each word.

Para is used less often and has fewer rules to learn, so we'll start there.

When to Use Para

Generally speaking para is the more specific of the two prepositions and often expresses destination and purpose.

Destination

Para is used to identify a specific destination:

Salgo para escuela ahora.
I'm leaving for school now.

Benefit

Para is used to identify a recipient or express that something is for someone else's benefit:

El coche es para Raúl.
The car is for Raúl. (The car is a gift.)

Trabajaba para John.
I worked for John. (John was my boss.)

El concierto fue para los granjeros.
The concert was for the farmers. (It was a benefit concert.)

Opinion

Para is used to express opinion or judgment:

Para mí el fútbol es el mejor deporte.
For me soccer is the best sport.

Purpose

Para is used to express a purpose, a function, or a plan. When coupled with an infinitive para means "in order to":

Es una caja para joyas.
It's a box for jewelry.

Está estudiando para ser abogado.
He is studying in order to be a lawyer.

Deadline

Para is used to express a deadline or time frame:

La tarea para jueves es leer capítulo tres.
The homework for Thursday is to read chapter three.

Description

Para is used in incongruous descriptions (when something is diferent from what is expected):

Está bajo para su edad.
He is short for his age.

Para ser niña, habla bien.
For a child, she speaks well.

Other Uses of Para

Note: Don't confuse the para conjugation of the verb parar ("to stop") with the preposition.

When used with estar, para means "to be ready to" or "to be about to":

Estoy para salir.
I'm about to leave.

Ahora está para escuchar.
He's ready to listen now.

There is also a handful of para expressions:

para entonces
by that time

para que
so that

para siempre
forever

para variar
for a change

That takes care of para, what about por?

When to Use Por

Note: Over the years the phrase "por a" became the modern para.

Por occurs much more often in Spanish and has a bewildering variety of uses and translations. Por is the more general and vague of the two prepositions and it often expresses causes or reasons.

Movement

Por is used to express movement through, about, or around something:

Caminamos por la ciudad.
We walked through the town.

Paseaba por la playa.
I would stroll down the beach.

Substitution

Por is used to express a substitution:

Trabajé por John.
I worked for John. (In John's place.)

Exchange

Por is used to express an exchange or purchase:

¿Cuánto pagaste por tu computadora?
How much did you pay for your computer?

Te doy $20 por esa gorra.
I'll give you $20 for that hat.

Note: Por is used for duration of time but para siempre means "forever."

Duration

Por is used to express a duration of time:

¿Caminaste por treinta minutos?
You walked for thirty minutes?

Location

Por is used to express an approximate location:

Estacioné mi coche por aquí.
I parked my car around here.

Time

Por is used to express an approximate or general time:

Salgo por la mañana.
I leave in the morning.

Mirábamos la televisión por la noche.
We watched television at night.

Objective

Por is used to express an objective (notice the objective is a noun, not a verb):

Fue al supermercado por cigarrillos.
He went to the supermarket for cigarettes.

Cause

Por is used to indicate the cause of or reason for something:

No podemos practicar por la nieve.
We can't practice because of the snow.

Means

Por is used to express means of transportation or communication:

Pablo viajaba por tren.
Pablo traveled by train.

Marta me llamó por teléfono.
Marta called me on the phone.

Measurement

Por is used to express quantities and measurements:

Compramos gasolina por galón.
We buy gasoline by the gallon.

Other Uses of Por

Por is used with to express a cause or an agent of action in passive voice sentences:

Las chozas fueron destruidas por el viento.
The huts were destroyed by the wind.

When used with an infinitive por indicates something remains to be done:

Hay mucho trabajo por hacer.
There's much work to be done.

Por is used to express support or to mean "on behalf of":

Trabaja por la gente sin hogar.
She works on behalf of the homeless.

íVoto por Manuel Rosales!
I'm voting for Manuel Rosales!

When used with estar, por means "to be in favor of" or inclined to do something:

Estamos por almorzar.
We're in favor of having lunch.

Por is used as the equivalent of the English word "per":

Ellas viajaban 100 millas por día.
They traveled 100 miles per day.

Por is used to signify multiplication:

Tres por tres son nueve.
Three times three is nine.

Por is also used in dozens of expressions such as:

por ciento
percent

por cierto
certainly

por completo
completely

por ejemplo
for example

por eso
therefore

por favor
please

por fin
finally

por lo general
in general

por lo menos
at least

por poco
almost, nearly

por supuesto
of course

por un lado
on the one hand