¿Por o Para?

[worldleader95]

I have a hard time choosing between por and para. What is the best way to learn which to use?

Es muy dificil para mi a escoger entre por y para. muchas veces no se cual palabra que debo utilizar. Que es el mejor manera a aprender como escoger bien?

[Jessica]

Por

• To express gratitude or apology
  • Gracias por la carta.
• For multiplication and division
  • 4 por 2 es 2.
• To express frequency
  • Estudié por tres horas.
• Meaning through, along, by or in the area of (movement)
  • Viajé por el canal.
• In exchange for
  • Cambiamos el pudín por las papas fritas.
• To mean on behalf of, in favor of, or in exchange for
  • Voté por Obama.
• To express a specific length of time
  • Yo trabajé por 8 horas.
• To express a general time
  • Por la mañana, veremos por Navidad.
• For means of communication or transportation
  • Mandé un mensaje por email.
    Viajamos por tren.
• Per
  • Conduje 3 millas por hora.
• Because of (por + noun) (por + inf)
  • No conduje por la nieve.
    No salimos por estar cansados.
• For the sake of
  • Los soldados hacen todo lo necesario por su país.
• Estar por means to be in the mood, or inclined to do something
  • Estoy por café.
• In passive constructions
  • El libro fue escrito por Becquer.

Para

• To indicate destination
  • Tomé el tren para Madrid
• To show the use or purpose of a thing
  • Este plato es para la cena.
• To mean in order to (para + inf)
  • Busco un trabajo nuevo para ganar más dinero.
• To indicate a recipient
  • La leche es para mi vecino.
• To express a deadline or specific time
  • La tarea es para mañana.
• Point of view/opinion
  • Para mí, el libro es excellente.
• Estar para to express an action that will soon be completed
  • Estoy para terminar el examen.
• Comparison/reference
  • Para un niño de 6 años, él puede leer bien.
• Work for (employed by)
  • Yo trabajo para NA.

there are also multiple threads on the same question

http://forums.tomisimo.org/showthread.php?t=4438

[Luna Azul]

For some reason, Por and Para are very difficult for foreigners. I can understand why.. You just have to study, study, study.

Jessica's answer is very useful.

[laepelba]

Por/para ... and others ... and there are similar difficulties for Spanish speakers learning English. (And I would assume with other languages as well....)

In thinking about this, I have come to the conclusion that the difficulty lies where there is ONE word in a language that can be translated as TWO different words (with different uses) in the other language.

Some examples:

Spanish >>> English
ser/estar = to be
por/para = for
saber/conocer = to know

English >>> Spanish
get = muchas palabras

I know there are more, but these are the ones that frequently come to mind......

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by laepelba

English >>> Spanish
get = muchas palabras
.....

Also hacer = to do or to make, where some seem to make(!) mistakes more often than statistically likely.

[aleCcowaN]

What about "quedar"?

[laepelba]

Hacer - YES, my students have all sorts of problems with "do" and "make".......

Quedar - still drives me crazy!!

[Luna Azul]

Originally Posted by Perikles

Also hacer = to do or to make, where some seem to make(!) mistakes more often than statistically likely.

Yes, Perikles, this is still a challenge to me sometimes, after all these years speaking English.

Also, "on" and "in". They both mean "en". "On" is supposedly used when referring to "encima" and "in" when referring to "dentro" or "adentro".

But it doesn't always work that way..

Why would you say "write it on the list"but"write it in the note" ???

Originally Posted by laepelba
Hacer - YES, my students have all sorts of problems with "do" and "make".......

Quedar - still drives me crazy!!

Silly question, but here it goes: What's the problem with "quedar"?

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by Luna Azul

Silly question, but here it goes: What's the problem with "quedar"?

to remain, to be left, to meet .......... I can sort of follow those ... but when it is used as an auxiliary verb with other verbs...... I am frequently surprised by the uses that native speakers find for "quedar"..............

[CrOtALiTo]

MM they have different meanings and use for example by me (Por mí) I will do something for me specially, and the other phrase for me (Para mí) I will get something for me, it is for me use.

Then as you can watch in the examples they almost have the same meaning but they are totally different.

Sincerely yours.

[Luna Azul]

Originally Posted by laepelba

to remain, to be left, to meet .......... I can sort of follow those ... but when it is used as an auxiliary verb with other verbs...... I am frequently surprised by the uses that native speakers find for "quedar"..............

¿Quedas como loca???

Sorry, I couldn't help it

I understand what you're saying. I never thought "quedar" was a problem for the English speaking people.

I remember when I was starting to learn English the verb that really drove me crazy was "to get". All those uses, all of them different, I was going nuts. Today I think it's the most useful verb in English. So, maybe that will happen to you too with "quedar" even though it's not as useful of "to get".

[laepelba]

Yes, my native Spanish-speaking friends also get (!!!) frustrated with "get". And, yes, I hope that I eventually am able to embrace "quedar" and use it broadly... I just need to make a mental note every time I hear it used ...

[aleCcowaN]

Speaking of "quedar", you may find useful this thread. (By the way, the mention there of «"guerras" gramaticales» was all about some popular misuse of "para" instead of "por" that is acceptable in Spain)

[laepelba]

Great link - thanks, Alec!!

[laepelba]

Otro: "cuál" y "qué"................

[Luna Azul]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Otro: "cuál" y "qué"................

I'd say it would help if you use "cuál" the way you use "which one". You have several choices, which one do you choose.

"Qué", as the English "what" in most contexts, is more general.

*I think

[laepelba]

I'm actually (usually) okay with "cual" and "que" ... but they're not directly one-to-one with "which" and "what".....

The other that I thought of was Spanish-speakers trying to learn "can" vs. "may" when asking a question.....

[Luna Azul]

Originally Posted by laepelba

I'm actually (usually) okay with "cual" and "que" ... but they're not directly one-to-one with "which" and "what".....

The other that I thought of was Spanish-speakers trying to learn "can" vs. "may" when asking a question.....

No, "cual" and "que" don't exactly relate to "which" and "what". That's why I said that "cual" would be more like "which one". Just a thought. I have no problem with either of them..

Actually I believe English speakers make more mistakes using "can" and "may" than English learners...

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by Luna Azul

Actually I believe English speakers make more mistakes using "can" and "may" than English learners...

You are SO right about that! We had a discussion about that here awhile back (don't have time to look for the thread right now), and a lot of English speakers were saying that they would never ask a question using "may". When I correct my students on that, they look at me like I have three heads.......