PARA vs POR

Question 1

EXPRESS REASON

Answer 1

POR

indicates the reason, cause or reason that explains the action expressed.

EXAMPLES:
Te envié un regalo por tu cumpleaños.
Por eso quiero darte las gracias.
(I sent you a present for your birthday. Because I want to thank you.)

—¿Por qué llegas tarde? (-Why are you late?
—Por el tráfico. (-Because of the traffic.)

Nos hemos mudado por el ruido. (We have moved because of the noise.)

Por ti hago cualquier cosa. (For you I do anything.)

Voy al supermercado por leche. (I go to the supermarket for milk.)

He venido a México por la comida. (I have come to Mexico for the food.)

Question 2

EXPRESS PURPOSE

Answer 2

PARA

indicates the purpose of the expressed action

EXAMPLES:
Para que veas que no me he olvidado de ti. (So you can see that I haven’t forgotten about you.)

Me fui a Londres para trabajar. (I went to London to work.)

Ese objetivo sirve para hacer fotos de cerca. (This lens is used for taking close-up photos.)

Me pongo ya el abrigo para salir cuanto antes. (I put on my coat to go out as soon as possible.)

Question 3

EXPRESS PERSONAL CHOICE

Answer 3

POR

to say your personal choice in a previously raised situation. It is an abbreviation for “if it were up to me”.

EXAMPLES:

Por mí, haz lo que quieras. (For me, do what you want.)

Por nosotros, vamos al cine. (For us, we go to the movies.)

Question 4

EXPRESS OPINION

Answer 4

PARA

indicates whose opinion the statement is made.

EXAMPLES:

Para mí, eres el mejor primo del mundo. (For me, you are the best cousin in the world.)

Para mi hermana, la puntualidad es importantísima. (For my sister, punctuality is very important.)

Question 5

EXPRESS PLACE OF PASSAGE

Answer 5

POR

indicates a place of passage; that is, a point on a path that is passed by without the need to stop.

EXAMPLES:

He pasado por tu casa. (I have passed by your house.)

La ruta pasa por Segovia. (The route passes through Segovia)

Question 6

EXPRESS AN ADDRESS OR DESTINATION

Answer 6

PARA

Indicates the final direction or destination of the subject’s journey.

EXAMPLES:

Este tren sale para Asturias en quince minutos. (This train leaves for Asturias in fifteen minutes.)

Salgo para tu casa en cinco minutos. (I’m leaving for your house in five minutes.)

Question 7

EXPRESS MEANS OR MEDIUM

Answer 7

POR

EXAMPLE:

• Podemos hablar por teléfono. (We can talk on the phone.)
• Nos comunicamos por carta. (We communicate by letter.)
• Puede contactarme por correo electrónico. (You can contact me by email.)
• Me he enterado del terremoto por las noticias. (I heard about the earthquake on the news.)
• Desde Madrid a Asturias se va por la autopista A6. (From Madrid to Asturias you go along the A6 motorway.)
• Nos hemos casado por la iglesia / por lo civil. (We have been married by the church / civilly.)

Question 8

EXPRESS AN ADDRESEE

Answer 8

PARA

EXAMPLE:

• Para mi querido primo Alberto. (For my dear cousin Alberto.)
• Esta película es para todos los públicos. (This movie is for all audiences.)

Question 9

EXPRESS EXCHANGE

Answer 9

POR

EXAMPLE:

• He comprado un microondas de segunda mano por diez euros. (I bought a second-hand microwave for ten euros.)
• ¿Me cambias tu postre por el mío? (Will you exchange your dessert for mine?)

Question 10

EXPRESS TIMEFRAME

Answer 10

PARA

EXAMPLE:

• El resultado de los exámenes estará para la semana que viene. (The results of the exams will be due next week.)
• El trabajo de fin de curso es para junio. (The end-of-course project is due in June.)

Question 11

EXPRESS APPROXIMATE LOCATION

Answer 11

POR

EXAMPLE:

• Martina vive por la Plaza Mayor. (Martina lives by the Plaza Mayor.)
• ¿Hay un cajero por aquí? (Is there an ATM around here?)

Question 12

EXPRESS PARADIGMATIC EXAMPLES (W/O VERB, W/ COMMA)

Answer 12

PARA

EXAMPLES:

Para ciudades bonitas, Sevilla. (For beautiful cities, Seville.)
Para gracioso, tu primo Eduardo. (For gracious, your cousin Eduardo.)

Question 13

EXPRESS TIMES OF DAY

Answer 13

POR

EXAMPLE:

por la(s) mañana(s) - in the morning(s)
por la(s) tarde(s) - in the afternoon(s)
por la(s) noche(s) - in the evening(s)

BUT NOT FOR:
al mediodía - at noon
de madrugada - early in the morning

Question 14

EXPRESS IRONIC EXPRESSION IN THE NEGATIVE SENSE (WITHOUT COMMA)

Answer 14

PARA

EXAMPLE:

Para perder el tiempo estoy yo. → No puedo perder el tiempo. (I’m here to waste time. → I can’t waste time.)
Para celebraciones estoy yo. → No estoy de humor para celebraciones. (For celebrations I am. → I’m not in the mood for celebrations)

Question 15

EXPRESS PERIODICITY

Answer 15

POR

EXAMPLE:

Salgo a correr tres veces por semana. (I go running three times a week.)

Question 16

EXPRESS DISTRIBUTION

Answer 16

POR

EXAMPLE:

Repartirán una botella de agua por persona. (They will distribute a bottle of water per person.)

Question 17

EXPRESS PERCENTAGE

Answer 17

POR

EXAMPLE:

4% = cuatro por ciento (4% = four percent)
100km/h = cien kilómetros por hora (100km/h = one hundred kilometers per hour)

Question 18

EXPRESS TO BE/TO BE MISSING/TO STAY+FOR+VERB )ITHAS NOT FINISHED)

Answer 18

POR

EXAMPLE:

• Eso aún está por hacer. (That is yet to be done.)
• Falta por ver la exposición de Goya. (The Goya exhibition remains to be seen.)
• Queda mucho por hacer. (There is much to do.)

Question 19

EXPRESS ON BEHALF OF

Answer 19

POR

EXAMPLE:

• Se disculpó por nosotros. → Se disculpó en nuestro nombre. (He apologized for us. → He apologized on our behalf.)
• Tus padres pueden firmar por ti. → Tus padres pueden firmar en tu nombre. (Your parents can sign for you. → Your parents can sign on your behalf.)

Question 20

AGENT COMPLEMENT IN PASSIVE SENTENCES

Answer 20

POR

EXAMPLE:

El herido fue transportado al hospital por la ambulancia. (The injured man was transported to hospital by ambulance.)