17.3.1

For - 'Por' & 'Para'

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Para - For

There are two words that mean 'for' in Spanish, but they each have different uses. Here are the uses of 'para':

Showing purpose or use

Showing purpose or use

  • When used for this reason 'para' can also mean in order to.
    • E.g. Trabajo para ganar dinero.
      • I work in order to earn money.
    • E.g. Este sistema es utilizado para organizar la información.
      • This system is used for organising the information.
Showing who something is for

Showing who something is for

  • E.g. Compré este bocadillo para ti.
    • I bought this sandwich for you.
  • E.g. Era un regalo para mí mismo.
    • It was a gift for myself.
Movement or direction

Movement or direction

  • E.g. El avión va para Madrid.
    • The plane is going to Madrid.
  • E.g. ¿Para dónde vas?
    • Where are you going?
For infinitives and opinion

For infinitives and opinion

  • E.g. Para concluir.
    • In order to conclude.
  • E.g. Para ellos.
    • For them (in their opinion).

For - 'Por'

'Por' is the other way to say 'for' in Spanish. 'Por' has different uses to 'para'.

Motivation

Motivation

  • 'Por' is used to show the motivation or reasons for doing something.
    • Jesus murió por nosotros.
      • Jesus died for us.
    • Me gusta el carne por su sabor.
      • I like meat for its taste.
For travel and how you contact someone

For travel and how you contact someone

  • When used for this purpose, 'por' can also means through or by.
    • Seguimos por el camino actual.
      • We continued on the current path.
    • Contacte con nosotros por téléfono o correo electrónico.
      • Contact us by phone or email.
Exchanging something for something else

Exchanging something for something else

  • Te doy treinta libras por la falda
    • I will give you 30 pounds for the skirt.
  • ¿Quieres cambiar tu bolígrafo por mi chicle?.
    • Do you want to trade your pen for my chewing gum?
To say how long something happens for

To say how long something happens for

  • Tiene que correr por dos horas.
    • He has to run for two hours.
  • Durmieron por diez horas.
    • They slept for ten hours.
For speed

For speed

  • When you are talking about kilometres per hour you need to use 'por'.
    • 60 kilómetros por hora.
      • 60 kilometres per hour.
Jump to other topics
1

Los valores tradicionales y modernos

2

El ciberespacio

3

La igualdad de los sexos

4

La inmigración

5

El racismo

6

La convivencia

7

La influencia de los ídolos

8

La identidad regional en España

9

El patrimonio cultural

10

El Laberinto del Fauno

11

Nouns

12

Articles

13

Adjectives

13.1

Agreement

13.2

Position

13.3

Apocopation

13.4

Comparative & Superlative

13.5

Use of Adjectives as Nouns

13.6

Demonstrative

13.7

Indefinite

13.8

Possessive

13.9

Interrogative & Exclamative

13.10

Relative

14

Numerals & Quantifiers

14.1

Cardinal

14.2

Ordinal

14.3

Agreement

14.4

Expressions of Time and Date

14.5

Quantifiers

15

Pronouns

16

Verbs

16.1

Regular Conjunctions

16.2

Regular & Irregular Verbs

16.3

Agreement of Verb & Subject

16.4

Use of Hay Que in All Tenses

16.5

Present Tense

16.6

Preterite Tense

16.7

Imperfect Tense

16.8

Future Tense

16.9

Conditional Tense

16.10

Perfect Tense

16.11

Future Perfect Tense

16.12

Conditional Perfect Tense

16.13

Pluperfect Tense

16.14

Infinitive, Gerund & Past Participle

16.15

Verbal Paraphrases

16.16

Use of the Subjunctive

16.17

Commands

16.18

Conditional Sentences

16.19

After Conjunctions of Time

16.20

After Para Que, Sin Que

16.21

In Relative Clauses

16.22

After Other Subordinating Conjunctions

16.23

With Verbs of Wishing & Commanding

16.24

Sequence of Tense in Indirect Speech

16.25

Voice

16.26

Use of the Reflexives as a Passive

16.27

Use of the Reflexive to Express an Impersonal

16.28

Use of Ser + Past Participle

16.29

Use of Estar + Past Participle

16.30

'Nuance' Reflexive Verbs

16.31

Modes of Address

16.32

Constructions with Verbs

16.33

Verbs Followed by an Infinitive

17

Prepositions & Conjunctions

17.1

All Prepositions

17.2

'Personal' a

17.3

Discrimination of Por and Para

17.4

Coordinating Conjunctions

17.5

Subordinating Conjunctions

17.6

Use of Que to Introduce a Clause

18

Negation, Questions & Commands

18.1

Negation

19

Word Order, Other Constructions & Discourse Marker

19.1

Subject Following Verb

19.2

Focalisation

19.3

Time Expressions with Hace/Hacía

19.4

Cleft Sentences

19.5

Comparative Constructions

19.6

Indirect Speech

19.7

Discourse Markers

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