Por cuenta de

Por cuenta de
 

Hi,

According to the available sources, it's both on behalf of and at the expense of, which can be pretty confusing. Are there "context free" alternatives?

No, there aren't. It all depends on the context. :thinking:

So one should not use in in public speech :)

Public or private, context is key. ;)

Context is something to be managed. You can always mismanage whatever you manage :)

What does it mean:

Hice esto por cuenta de ti.

I did this on your behalf. (I did this for you (in your absence or because you weren't able).)

Your previous 'at the expense of' definition may be rendered 'on the house' or 'on the establishment' (por cuenta de la casa), like when the bartender gives you an extra glass of what you were having at no cost.

It means that you did something on my behalf, as Rusty said. Yet, this is not how we use the expression.

- Los tragos van por mi cuenta. -> I'm paying for the drinks of the people accompanying me at the bar.
- Te ofrezco alojamiento en mi casa, pero los alimentos son por tu cuenta. -> I'm offering you to stay at my place, but you'll be responsible for your own meals.
- Los trabajos y servicios de reparación serán por cuenta del inquilino. -> All reparation services and works will be paid by the tenant.


- Asumo la responsabilidad por cuenta de mi representado. -> I take responsibility for the things involving the person I'm representing.
- Por fin reconocieron, por cuenta de mi padre muerto, mis derechos a la herencia. -> After a legal fight over the state of my dead father, his family finally recognized me as his son with rights over the inheritance.
- Tengo el poder de decidir por cuenta del comité. -> I'm capable of making decisions on behalf of the committee.

What if los tragos are on the house?

That has already been answered, unless in your latest question you've deviated from the idiomatic use of 'on the house.'

As Rusty says, the examples can be generalized:
If you have "los tragos van por mi cuenta" and "los gastos serán por cuenta del inquilino", you can say "los tragos van/son/corren por cuenta de la casa". ;)

Thanks!

So it is not idiomatic, like in English.

Well, "por cuenta de" is invariable; it's only adapted to denote whose "property" is the "de" about. :thinking:
The verbs don't change much either.

On the house, too.

—¿Te apetece tomar un batido?
—Bueno...
—Oh, la casa invita.

The richness of languages is that there never is only one way to say things. ;)