Para or Por
I need some basic guidelines in the usage of para and por.
Necesito unas directivas basicas del uso de para y por. Cuando se usa o dice para y cuando se usa o dice por? Gracias. Please correct my first attempt at posting a question in Spanish (self study 2 months). Thanks.:thinking: |
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Basically, you can use "por" as a cause, and "para" as a finality. I'll explain more detailed in Spanish, if you don't mind:
- Para Destino: El mes que viene parto para Lisboa. Propósito: Este regalo es para ti. Objetivo: Estudia para ser abogado Comparación: Hablas muy bien español, para ser inglés Futuro: Tengo que estudiar esta lección para mañana - Por: Tiempo: Me han hecho un contrato por un mes Intercambio: ¿Cuánto me paga por el coche? A través: Iremos por la nueva autopista Esfuerzo: Trabajó toda su vida por sus hijos Averguación: ¿Sabes quién ha preguntado por ti? Frecuencia: Voy al gimnasio dos días por semana Motivo: Robaron por hambre Modo de ejecución: Envíalo por correo aéreo Lugar o fecha indeterminados: Su casa está por ahí. Estuvo aquí por un tiempo. For instance, you can see the difference: Yo voy para Madrid (= hacia Madrid) Yo voy por Madrid (paseo por Madrid, estoy ahí) I hope it'll be helpful :) |
One thing that always tripped me up is that I always wanted to use 'por' as a translation of the word 'for', because they sound so similar. But 'para' is used for that.
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And a thought from mine: Para traducir 'for', puedes usar para y por. :) (a little poem) |
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Gracias por la ayudas mnemotécnicas (memory aids), irmamar. |
I have other examples of the use of the word Para.
Para que veas. Para que vas. Para que te veas. This are short examples, you can use into of the Spanish, I hope these examples can help you. |
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Me das las gracias por (cause) algo que sirve para (finality or purpose) algo. ;) 'Memory aids', I think once you told me, but I had forgotten. Thanks. :) |
mnemotécnicas
Is there a mnemonic to remember the spelling of this word? |
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Hay soluciones mnemotécnicas para todo, sólo hay que buscarlas :D |
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and n before v = envío I remember those since I was a kid, they stuck because I was in love with Mrs. Gloria. :o She had been my teacher since Kindergarten. |
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Many a native speaker will misspell those words if they don't remember the memory aids your teacher taught you. :) |
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And yes I forgot about the combination m before b :) |
In many languages (although not in English, in most instances), the letter n is pronounced as if it were the letter m when it is followed by a labial consonant (i.e., b, m, p, and v). There is also a spelling convention, which is what you were stating, that the letter n is changed to an m before those consonants.
The spelling convention isn't always followed, like in the word inconveniente, but the pronunciation rule is. This word is pronounced as if an m appeared before the v. Here are more examples: Convencer is pronounced combencer. Conmigo is pronounced commigo. Enmascarar is pronounced emmascarar. Sinvergüenza is pronounced simbergüenza. Tan bien is pronounced exactly like the word también. En piezas is pronounced exactly like the word empiezas. |
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Thanks. |
I agree with Rusty. :)
Otro mnemotécnico útil sirve para saber colocar los pronombres átonos en la oración: semana < mes < trimestre Se me ha caído la chaqueta (semana < mes) :good: Me se ha caido la chaqueta :bad: Se te ha ocurrido a ti (semana < trimestre) :good: Te se ha ocurrido a ti :bad: |
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Although some of the combinations, at least en Chile, are not used like that, due to not pronouncing the v correctly. Sinvergüenza becomes sinbergüenza etc. Let me add that this phenomena appears in the lower social stratus where education is scarce at best. :/ |
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¡Soy tonta! Ya lo he pillado :D |
Fun video by some high school students trying to explain por y para in a rap!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd0dl...eature=related |
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In the song "Por ti volaré" why do you use "por" rather than para? I was under the impression that when talking about doing something for somebody, you use "para" -- ie: "Èste ordenador es para ti"
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You are the cause: volaré por ti.
But you can say: hacer algo por alguien with two meanings: 1. I do something because of you: Trabajo por ti, porque quiero ganar dinero para pagarte los estudios (cause). 2. I do something instead of you: Hago el trabajo por ti (en tu lugar). :) |
Besides, that "volaré para ti"= "I will fly for you" also means "that I will show you how I fly." Right?
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Alright, I'm understanding it now. Thanks to the two of you guys :)
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The following chart shows some of the major uses of these two prepositions.
Uses for por: Expressing movement along, through, around, by or about: Anduve por las calles de la ciudad. I walked through the streets of the city. Denoting a time or duration when something occurs. Viajamos por tres semanas. We're traveling for three weeks. Expressing the cause not the purpose) of an action: Me caí por la nieve. I fell down because of the snow. Meaning per: Dos por ciento.Two percent. Meaning supporting or in favor of: Trabajamos por derechos humanos. We work for human rights. Introducing the agent of an action after a passive verb: Fue escrito por Bob Woodward. It was written by Bob Woodward. Indicating means of transportation: Viajaré por avión. I will travel by plane. Used in numerous expressions: Por ejemplo. For example. Por favor. Please. Uses for para: Meaning for the purpose of or in order to: Para bailar la bamba, necesita una poca de gracia. In order to dance the bamba you need a little grace. With a noun or pronoun as object, meaning for the benefit of or directed to: Es para usted. It's for you. Meaning to or in the direction of when referring to a specific place: Voy para Europa. I'm heading to Europe. Meaning by or for when referring to a specific time: Necesito el regalo para mañana. I need the gift for tomorrow. Vamos a la casa de mi madre para el fin de semana. We're going to my mother's for the weekend. |
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I mostly agree with Irma.
- I wouldn't use "por" instead of "durante". - "Por avión" used to be a literal translation of French "par avion", to indicate that ordinary mail should be sent by plane, so sending something via air transport is the only case I can think of when some people would use "por avión" instead of "en avión". - However, I have to disagree about the case of "me caí por la nieve". "Por" can be actually used to give a reference about the place where something has happened, but not exactly the place: · Me caí por el faro. (I fell somewhere nearby the lighthouse.) · Tuvimos el accidente por Mérida. (We had the accident somewhere nearby Mérida.) In these cases, "por" is not a cause, but a place around which something has happened. There is no immediate ambiguity in the meaning, because one wouldn't expect a lighthouse to be the cause of someone falling down, or a city the cause of someone having an accident. In the case of the snow, I wouldn't find any ambigüity either, because falling somewhere around or nearby the snow would sound strange to me (as if it would be concentrated only in one spot). We would say "me caí en la nieve" to say "I fell on the snow". And by the way, here it's correct to say "voy a casa de mi madre para el fin de semana". Although speakers might not be fully aware of it, it's an ellipsis that's felt as saying "...para pasar el fin de semana". Still, it's colloquial and the right expressions are those Irma suggested. :) |
Bueno, "caerse por" da un sentido de extensión, como si algo se desparramara: caerse por las escaleras, caerse las monedas por el suelo, etc. No diría "caer por el suelo" (una persona o ciertos objetos de un tamaño ya considerable; sí, sin embargo, unas monedas o pequeños objetos). También diría "caer por la nieve" porque vas resbalando y no caes en un punto fijo (si la nieve está helada, claro):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sTPFWnmvFI :) |
Aaaah, vaya... Claro, si ruedas cuesta abajo sobre la nieve es otra cosa. Yo pensé más bien en una extensión plana. ;)
En ese caso estoy de acuerdo con la extensión de la explicación al respecto de "caer por". :) |
'Para' and 'por' are probably the single most confusing aspect of Spanish grammar - I've been learnig Spanish for forty years, and I still occasionally get it wrong!
I remember reading many years ago that "Compré la casa para mi padre", meant that I paid for it myself (for him to live in); but "Compré la casa por mi padre" meant that I did all the work but he paid for it. I sought confirmation of this from mi señora (barcelonesa) and she said it was rubbish and each structure could nean either. Far be it from me to contradict my wife but confidentially, I think she's wrong; what do you guys think? |
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that he was instrumental in the purchase. Other example: pago por carta crédito means I'm paying with a credit card. Pago para una carta crédito means I'm paying to obtain a credit card. I agree with you that por and para causes problems for us. I say it right and then correct myself and get it wrong sometimes, |
Also por means "because or as a result"
Sancho, I agree with you. :) I cannot think of an instance in which "Compré esta casa para mi padre" could mean "Compré esta casa por mi padre" |
I could say: Compré esta casa por mi padre, porque él me aconsejó que la comprara (just an example). :)
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Right. I agree with the answers above.
@Sancho Panzer, what is the exact question? (What you explained above made sense to me, so it seems to me that tu señora maybe didn't quite get what you meant?) (It is just a question, because, if I don't understand something that I think I understand and you tell me that "you are wrong" and tell me why, and I get it, then I don't have to wonder anymore. If you tell me "you are wrong" but don't give the reason, then, it is possible a misunderstanding could have occurred...) Hey, "¡hablando se entiende la gente!" |
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So... is this fully clarified for you?
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These pronunciations are commonly used in Latin America.
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Thanks for the help guys. Reading through this was interesting and helpful and helped me learn something new.
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Here is a really cool link for Por vs Para
http://www.colby.edu/~bknelson/SLC/por_para1.php It actually has a paragraph in Spanish using por and para and it explains the use of para and por in context of the paragraph. |
Siendo el invierno y los días festivos aquí en Minnesota...
¿Como se dice en español?: "I am going to give Sophie a gift for Christmas." Voy a darle a Sophie un regalo para la navidad. "I took medicine for the cough." Tomé medicina para la tos. I alway use PARA in examples like these. Is that correct? |
Yes, it's correct in both sentences.
"Para" expresses a destination both literally and figuratively, so "para (la) Navidad" is right. You will find some people who say (joking or not) that "medicina para la tos" should be "medicina contra la tos", because otherwise you'd be saying that the medication is meant to make your cough worse. However the significance of "medicina/medicamento" (some substance that relieves sickness) is enough to express what you mean. :) |
Thanks again Angelica.
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Hola Tony:
Por and para both mean for, amoung other things. Learn one or two uses at a time and nunca, nunca nunca use para after gracias. Para is used to indicate destination, purpose, use, or goal. Por is used to indicate through, along, around, & by. Siga este sendero para las montañas y entonces continue siguiéndolo por las montañas. |
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