Por Versus Para

Right here is extra about these variations:

Use por when:

• Indicating the motive for doing one thing. You possibly can translate it to “due to”:

No ha venido por el mal tiempo. (He has not come due to the unhealthy climate.)

• You need to speak about communication and journey:

Me contestó por electronic mail. (He answered me by way of/by electronic mail.)

Nunca he viajado por Polonia. (I’ve by no means traveled by means of Poland.)

• It’s good to state how lengthy one thing goes on:

Estuve escribiendo por 3 horas. (I used to be writing for 3 hours.)

• You need to discuss with an change or transaction:

¿De verdad has pagado tanto por ese teléfono? (Have you ever actually paid that a lot for that telephone?)

Me dio su camiseta por mi camisa. (She gave me her T-shirt for my shirt.)

• One particular person substitutes or takes the place of one other throughout a job:

Fui a ayudar por mi padre. (I went to assist as an alternative of my father.)

• You do one thing for somebody out of affection:

Todo esto es por ti. (All that is for you.)

Use para when:

• It’s good to speak about the recipient of one thing:

Esto es para ti. (That is for you.)

• You might be referring to a vacation spot or last level:

El tren para Lisboa sale en 3 minutos. (The practice to Lisbon leaves in 3 minutes.)

• You need to speak about targets and function:

Hemos venido para almorzar contigo. (Now we have come to have lunch with you.)

• You need to give your opinion or speak about another person’s opinion:

Para mí, esta casa es muy pequeña. (For me, this home may be very small.)

Para mi madre, eso es muy peligroso. (In accordance with my mom, that may be very harmful.)

• You must speak about or talk about a deadline:

Lo necesito para el lunes. (I want it for Monday.)

Spanish Expressions with Por

• Por ahora (for now) — Por ahora, todo está controlado. (Every little thing is below management in the intervening time.)
• Por completo (utterly, completely) — Se le olvidó por completo. (He utterly forgot about it.)
• Por ejemplo (for instance) — Juan y Pedro, por ejemplo. (Juan and Pedro, for instance.)
• Por favor (please) — Ayúdame, por favor. (Assist me, please.)
• Por fin (lastly, ultimately) — ¡Has vuelto! ¡Por fin! (You might be again! Ultimately!)
• Por lo menos (at the least) — Necesito tres por lo menos. (I want three at the least.)
• Por lo visto (apparently) — Por lo visto, él le ha sido infiel. (Apparently, he has cheated on her.)
• Por si acaso (simply in case) — Vamos a volver por si acaso. (Let’s return, simply in case.)
• Por supuesto (positive, after all) — ¡Por supuesto que no lo haré! (In fact I cannot do it!)
• ¿Por qué? Porque… (why? as a result of…) — ¿Por qué lloras? Porque estoy triste. (Why are you crying? As a result of I’m unhappy.)
• Gracias por (thanks for) — Gracias por todo, mamá. (Thanks for all the things, mum.)

Spanish Expressions with Para

• Para colmo (to prime all of it) — Llegó tarde y, para colmo, no pidió disculpas. (He arrived late and, to prime all of it, he didn’t apologize.)
• Para empezar (for starters) — Para empezar, vamos a llamar a papá. (For starters, let’s name dad.)
• Para entonces (by then) — Ya había muerto para entonces. (He was useless by then.)
• Para nada (not…in any respect) — No me gusta para nada. (I don’t prefer it in any respect.)
• Para otra vez (for an additional time, for an additional day) — Dejémoslo para otra vez. (Let’s depart it for an additional time.)
• Para que / para qué (in order that, to be able to / what for) — Lo hice para que vinieras. (I did it so that you’d come.)
• Para siempre (eternally) — Quiero estar contigo para siempre. (I need to be with you eternally.)
• Para variar (as normal, only for a change) — Has vuelto a mentir, para variar. (You could have lied once more, only for a change.)
• Estar para (to be about to) — Estaba para salir cuando llamaste. (I used to be about to exit if you referred to as.)

Para mí vs. Por mí

Para mí and por mí are a particular case as a result of they not solely have a distinction in which means, however they themselves additionally change meanings relying on the place you set them in a sentence.

On the one hand, para mí initially of a sentence means “in my view.”

• Para mí, ese niño es muy inteligente. (In my view, that boy may be very clever.)
• Para mí que está cansado. (In my view, he’s drained.)

When added on the finish of a sentence, para mí adjustments its which means to “for me” (in contexts after we obtain one thing):

• Este regalo es para mí. (This current is for me.)
• El café también es para mí. (The espresso can also be for me.)

However, por mí initially of a sentence means “so far as I’m involved” or “as for me,” and it provides a way of indifference to the entire:

• Por mí como si no vuelve. (As for me, he could properly by no means come again.) [And I don’t care.]
• Por mí que lo metan en la cárcel. (So far as I’m involved, they will put him in jail.)

Lastly, por mí on the finish of a sentence loses its indifference, and it involves imply “as an alternative of me,” “in my place” or “for me” (with the which means of “for my sake”):

• Irá de compras por mí. (He’ll buy groceries in my place.)
• Me dijo la verdad por mí. (He advised me the reality for my sake.)

¿Para qué? vs. ¿Por qué?

Para qué and por qué should not as changeable as para mí and por mí, however additionally they have a distinction in which means.

We use para qué after we need to ask for what function one thing was achieved:

• ¿Para qué has comprado eso? (What have you ever purchased that for?)
• ¿Para qué vienes? (For what function are you coming?)

¿Por qué no? vs. ¿Para qué no?

¿Por qué no? is used to ask for the rationale “why not”:

•  ¿Por qué no comes pizza? (Why don’t you eat pizza?)
• ¿Por qué no me hablas? (Why don’t you discuss to me?)

¿Para qué no? is a query that follows a unfavourable assertion or command. For instance:

• No makes use of eso para comer (Don’t use that for consuming.)
• ¿Para qué no debo usarlo? No te he oído.  (What shouldn’t I take advantage of it for? I didn’t hear you.)

The place to Observe Por vs Para

These assets may help you follow the distinction between por and para.