Spanish what is the difference between por and para

Travel and Communication Por can be used to talk about the way you travel or communicate. Te doy sesenta pesos por la mochila. Because of her love for children, she wants to be a pediatrician. Trabajo por ti, porque te quiero cuidar. No, Bruno. Estos chocolates no son para los perros. Tengo que terminar esto para las ocho. Corro para mantenerme en forma. Looking for common expressions with por and para?

Check out our article on expressions with por and para. Looking for even more practice with por and para? Check out our article on more with por and para. Looking for the old quiz? SpanishDict is the world's most popular Spanish-English dictionary, translation, and learning website. I contacted her by mail. I traveled through France and Spain. Do you want to go through the park? Te cambio mi manzana por tu sandwich.

I'll trade you my apple for your sandwich. I'll give you sixty pesos for that backpack. Tengo que trabajar por ocho horas hoy. Perhaps one of the most challenging concepts for non-native Spanish-speakers to master is understanding when to use por and when to use para , both of which translate to for in English. Even in English, while we may use for in multiple instances, it can convey a different meaning. In the first sentence, the speaker is looking for that book to give it to Cecilia.

In the second sentence, the speaker is looking for the book on behalf of Cecilia. A trick to understanding when to use por and when to use para is knowing which preposition is associated with a cause and which is associated with an effect. To talk about your boss, you would both say:.

In this instance, the word for has the same function as in the sentence "I am looking for that book. In this instance, to say I am working for Alvaro is the same as I am working on behalf of Alvaro. Alvaro is the reason why— the cause —for you to be working.

In summary, para is used when a statement calls for in order to and por is used when a statement calls for on behalf of. This might be a little difficult to understand at first, but just think about why the action is occurring. Are you working to produce results for your boss para?

Or are you working on behalf of your sick coworker por? In Spanish, por and para can be used to describe travel or motion. In the first example, la puerta is how we go to the destination—what we go through. In the second example, el Caribe is the destination—what we go to. This is probably the easiest rule to master. This is for me. Check out some of them: Por : for, to, because of, by, on, in, through, instead of, during, per Para : for, in order to, according to, by, on Ok, now you probably feel even more desperate than before.

Trabaja para ganar dinero. He works in order to earn money. Let me exemplify with the three sentences above: Why do you speak Spanish? To talk to people from Argentina. Why do we need to talk? To discuss some important things. Why does he work?

To earn money. It can also be used to refer to the recipient of something: Salgo para Chile esta noche. I leave for Chile tonight. Voy para Europa. Este cuadro es para un museo en Madrid. This painting is for a museum in Madrid. Este pastel es para mi madre. This cake is for my mother. The appointment is on Thursday.

It will be done by tomorrow. For me, Spanish is more romantic than Italian. Los estudiantes son el futuro para la profesora.