Por vs. Para: How to Choose the Right Word
Por and para can be confusing because both often translate as “for.” Lucía compares them so you can make a clearer choice in your own sentences.
Watch the lesson
Try it yourself
Write three sentences with por and three with para. Explain to yourself why you chose each one, then check against the examples in the lesson.
Watch the original lesson on YouTube.
Edited lesson transcript and examples
Read the complete substantive lesson in its original order. The English explanation is edited from the published manual English captions and compared with the original automatic English track, with all Spanish models checked against the original on-screen examples. Punctuation and caption errors are repaired for reading; contextual English translations and labelled learner notes are additions. The instructor’s recommendations, humor, practice, Study Guide reminder and next-video recommendation are retained. This is an edited caption-based transcript, not a pronunciation assessment. Music is omitted.
The timestamp chapters link to the original video. Their start times are approximate.
- 0:00 — Por and para: context matters
- 0:34 — Para: four useful categories
- 1:27 — 1. Recipients
- 1:56 — 2. Purposes
- 3:07 — The free Study Guide
- 3:18 — 3. Due dates and deadlines
- 4:02 — 4. Destinations
- 4:58 — Por: four useful categories
- 5:59 — 1. Causes and reasons
- 6:27 — 2. The passive voice
- 6:50 — 3. Exchanges
- 7:14 — Common expressions with por
- 8:08 — 4. Duration
- 8:36 — Recap
- 8:57 — The original four-question quiz
- 10:21 — Keep practising
0:00 — Por and para: context matters
Stop confusing por and para. This is a particularly common mistake among English speakers, but Spanish folks will not understand what you’re saying if you keep mixing them up. Watch this video and learn the difference once and for all. I need your full attention, okay? Stay with me till the end because I’ve got a quiz to test your skills.
Tengo un test para ti.
Example translation: I have a quiz for you.
Have you noticed both por and para can be translated as “for”? Annoying, right? But there’s a logic you can follow and never make this mistake again. Remember, context is the key.
0:34 — Para: four useful categories
We’ll start this lesson with para. We’ll analyze all its possible meanings, check out some examples, and then we’ll move on to por and do the same thing. We use para mainly to talk about purposes or destinations. Let’s think about this for a second. Both purposes and destinations are associated with something that moves forward. A purpose refers to something we hope results from an action, and a destination is something or somewhere we travel towards. This means that para can also be associated with something forward-looking, something in the future.
en el futuro
Example translation: in the future
Learner note — The scope of the lesson: These four categories for each preposition are a practical starting point, not every possible use. The forward/backward picture is the instructor’s memory aid, not a rule about actual past or future time. For example, por also occurs with routes and means of communication, while para can express other relations. Source: RAE: por, RAE: para.
More specifically, para is used for recipients, purposes, deadlines or due dates, and destinations.
1:27 — 1. Recipients
Let’s start with recipients: destinatarios. When I said before “Tengo un test para ti,” I have a quiz for you, who is getting my quiz? You! You all. My students.
Traje un pastel para Marta.
Example translation: I brought a cake for Marta.
Who’s getting the cake? I wish I was! And one more:
No olvides suscribirte, es bueno para ti.
Example translation: Don’t forget to subscribe; it’s good for you.
Learner note — Recipients and benefit: The cake is intended for Marta. In es bueno para ti, para identifies the person who benefits. That example expresses benefit rather than literally receiving an object.
1:56 — 2. Purposes
The second use: purposes. This one is a little bit trickier because in English, when we find ourselves in front of an infinitive, we just say “to,” when sometimes we mean “in order to.” We can find purpose in an action. For example:
Estoy lavando el coche para ir a dar una vuelta.
Example translation: I’m washing the car to go for a drive.
Carla y Sabrina estudian juntas para aprobar el examen.
Example translation: Carla and Sabrina study together to pass the exam.
We can also find purpose for objects when we want to talk about what the objects were made for, what purpose they serve.
Es un buen libro para aprender español.
Example translation: It’s a good book for learning Spanish.
Es una máquina para hacer queso.
Example translation: It’s a machine for making cheese.
Easy, right? Now, let’s spice it up with a question.
¿Para qué estás viendo este vídeo?
Example translation: What are you watching this video for?
Para aprender a hablar mejor español.
Example translation: To learn to speak Spanish better.
See what we did there?
3:07 — The free Study Guide
By the way, on My Daily Spanish we have a free Study Guide that offers a step-by-step process to help you learn Spanish faster. You can download it for free using the link in the description.
3:18 — 3. Due dates and deadlines
But wait, we’re almost done with this lesson. Just two more uses of para. The third use for para is due dates or deadlines. Let’s see some examples.
Necesito terminar este vídeo para mañana.
Example translation: I need to finish this video by tomorrow.
Again, this goes with that forward-looking idea: when will something be done by? When should something be done by in the future?
Me pondré este vestido para el cumpleaños de mi hermana.
Example translation: I’ll wear this dress for my sister’s birthday.
Here para indicates purpose. The dress is specifically for the occasion of the birthday. Not difficult, right?
4:02 — 4. Destinations
Just one left. Our last specific use for para is destinations. As in:
Anoche, Pedro salió para Italia.
Example translation: Last night, Pedro left for Italy.
Lucky Pedro. And because you’re crushing it, here’s a trickier one:
Estoy saliendo para allá.
Example translation: I’m on my way there.
Wait, where’s the “for” in English? The literal translation would be “I am leaving for there.” In this case, para shows the destination: there, even though it doesn’t translate directly to “for” in English. Now you know. That’s it for para. Did you understand all of its uses? Can you come up with new examples or phrases you’re not sure about?
Hazme saber en los comentarios.
Example translation: Let me know in the comments.
4:58 — Por: four useful categories
Let’s move on with the lesson. It’s time for por. And after that, the quiz. So put your attention goggles on and stay focused because I need to make sure you learn this lesson and stop mistaking these two words. The general use of por is a cause or reason. In contrast with para, por doesn’t have a forward-looking motion, but instead is associated with a backward-looking motion. This makes sense, because if you want to see why something happened, you need to look back into the past to see what other actions led to your current state. We look back to find the cause or reason. There are four specific uses for por. First: cause or reason. Second: passive voice. Third: to talk about an exchange. Fourth: to talk about a duration of time.
Learner note — The memory aid: The forward/backward picture is a useful teaching image for these purposes and causes. It is not a rule that para always refers to the future or por always refers to the past. The dictionary meanings linked above include other uses.
5:59 — 1. Causes and reasons
Come on, this will be fast. First use of por:
No fuimos al parque por la lluvia.
Example translation: We didn’t go to the park because of the rain.
Por and debido a are interchangeable.
No fuimos al parque debido a la lluvia.
Example translation: We didn’t go to the park because of the rain.
Learner note — Because of: Por and debido a can replace each other in these causal examples. They are not interchangeable in every use of por, such as the price or passive-agent examples below.
Las tiendas cerraron temprano por la tormenta.
Example translation: The shops closed early because of the storm.
Clear, right?
6:27 — 2. The passive voice
Now, the second use. We use it when we want to emphasize the action over the subject. For example:
El libro fue escrito por Victoria.
Example translation: The book was written by Victoria.
El ladrón fue detenido por la policía.
Example translation: The thief was arrested by the police.
Learner note — The passive agent: In these passive sentences, por introduces the agent: the person or group doing the writing or arresting. The grammatical subject is el libro or el ladrón, the thing or person affected by the action. The passive changes how that action and its participants are presented. Source: RAE: por.
6:50 — 3. Exchanges
Only two more uses left. Let’s talk about the use of por in an exchange.
Puedes comprar el libro de Victoria por diez euros.
Example translation: You can buy Victoria’s book for ten euros.
Te cambio mi almuerzo por tu móvil.
Example translation: I’ll trade you my lunch for your mobile phone.
Terrible deal if you ask me.
7:14 — Common expressions with por
Before we learn the last use of por, I want to tell you about a couple of expressions that use por and have a specific meaning. Quickly. For example:
por lo menos
Example translation: at least
As in when I ask you to watch at least one more video after this one:
Mira por lo menos un vídeo más después de este.
Example translation: Watch at least one more video after this one.
Other common phrases are:
por otro lado
Example translation: on the other hand
Please don’t say “por otra mano”; it will sound silly.
por otra mano
Example translation: The intentionally unsuitable word-for-word rendering of “on the other hand,” crossed out in the original lesson.
We also use:
por fin
Example translation: at last
As in:
Por fin pude ir a la piscina.
Example translation: At last I managed to go to the pool.
por eso
Example translation: that’s why / therefore
As in:
Estoy enferma, por eso no iré al trabajo hoy.
Example translation: I’m sick; that’s why I won’t go to work today.
8:08 — 4. Duration
Our last use of por refers to a duration of time. Kind of like with the exchange, we put por in front of an amount, in this case of time. It is interchangeable with durante. Example:
Learner note — A duration is legitimate: Por can express a duration, as in the lesson’s examples; this is an accepted Spanish use. Durante may be used for the same duration here. Neither statement means that por and durante can replace each other in every sentence. Source: FundéuRAE: temporal por.
El imperio azteca gobernó su territorio por dos siglos.
Example translation: The Aztec Empire ruled its territory for two centuries.
durante dos siglos
Example translation: for two centuries
Learner note — The history in the example: The preposition and translation in the original sentence demonstrate duration correctly, but its historical figure is inaccurate. The Mexica imperial period is conventionally dated 1428–1521, roughly 93 years, rather than two centuries. Tenochtitlan’s 1325 foundation belongs to an earlier period and should not be confused with the start of imperial expansion. Source: UNAM: the origins of the Mexica Empire.
8:36 — Recap
Let’s have a quick recap to help you nail the quiz. We use para for recipients, purposes, deadlines and destinations: a forward motion. And por for talking about cause or reason, passive voice, exchange and duration of time. Isn’t it so much clearer now? If you have any doubts, you can let me know below in the comments.
8:57 — The original four-question quiz
Now, the quiz.
Lo he hecho solo para ti.
Example translation: I made it just for you.
Four questions. Choose por or para for each blank, then open the answer. The English translations and short explanations below are reader additions; the questions and intended answers are those in the original video.
1. 9:09
¿Cuánto me das ___ esta camiseta?
Example translation: How much will you give me for this T-shirt?
Options: por / para
Show the answer
por — Exchange: the amount offered for the shirt.
¿Cuánto me das por esta camiseta?
2. 9:27
En Navidad, Santa Claus trae regalos ___ los niños.
Example translation: At Christmas, Santa Claus brings gifts for the children.
Options: por / para
Show the answer
para — The children are the intended recipients.
En Navidad, Santa Claus trae regalos para los niños.
3. 9:47
Terminaré mi tarea ___ las once de la noche.
Example translation: I’ll finish my homework by eleven at night.
Options: por / para
Show the answer
para — The intended meaning is a deadline.
Terminaré mi tarea para las once de la noche.
4. 10:07
He estudiado español ___ más de un año.
Example translation: I’ve studied Spanish for over a year.
Options: por / para
Show the answer
por — The intended meaning is a duration.
He estudiado español por más de un año.
10:21 — Keep practising
How did you do? Do you also have trouble differentiating ser and estar? That’s because you didn’t watch my video Ser vs. Estar! It’s about two of the most confusing verbs in Spanish, but also the two most crucial. Don’t miss it. See you there.
