Your Guide To Using Por vs. Para in Spanish Made Simple

Por and para share a similar definition, as both words can mean “for,” but the context in which you use them is vastly different.

They aren’t interchangeable, so knowing how to use each one ensures that you’re communicating exactly what you mean. Thankfully, there are many tips and tricks to help you differentiate the two.

What do por and para mean in Spanish?

Many resources will tell you simply that both por and para both mean “for,” which is sometimes true, but the meanings depend on the context of the sentence. You will never hear a native Spanish speaker use them interchangeably, as they follow distinct patterns of usage.

That’s why it can be helpful to focus on comparing and contrasting when to use por vs. para in Spanish in real-life contexts. Digging deeper into the meaning conveyed by each preposition, you see that por can mean:

because of
by way of
through
per
instead of
on someone’s behalf
during
to
in the
for

By contrast, para can mean:

for
in order to
by (a deadline)
according to
toward

That’s quite a list. Take a look at a breakdown of each word with explanations on when to use por and para with contextual examples, plus a few tricks to help you remember how to choose between the two.

When to use para

If you’re hoping to hack por vs. para, focus on para, which has fewer uses. Then, by process of elimination, assume anything that isn’t para uses por.

There are about three times as many entries in the dictionary of the Real Academia Española for por, as well as a plethora of expressions and set phrases. Para is far simpler.

There are still several tricky exceptions, especially when trying to translate from English. However, it’s a useful first step.

Think of para as the future

You can often place para in the future in relation to the action of the sentence. In contrast, por can be past or present. Things that happen in the future include a:

purpose
recipient
deadline
destination

Use para when you mean “in order to” (a purpose), “for someone” (a recipient), “by a deadline,” or “toward a destination.”

Purpose: Estudio para hablar mejor. = I study in order to speak better.
Recipient: Este regalo es para mi vecina. = This gift is for my neighbor.
Deadline: Complétalo para el lunes. = Complete it by Monday.
Destination: Voy para Chicago mañana. = I’m going to Chicago tomorrow.

Also use para for opinions

Many uses of para could be translated as “according to,” or “in the opinion of.”

Para mí, no es tan importante. = In my opinion, it’s not that important.
Para nosotros, vale la pena. = For us (in our opinion), it’s worth it.

When to use por

If you have a good understanding of when to use para, you can assume almost any other use of “for” will be por. Here’s a summary of situations where por is the right choice.

When To Use *Por*	Spanish Example	English Example
Reason/Because of	Anda con muletas *por* su rodilla.	He’s using crutches *because* of his knee.
Traveling through a space	El perro corre *por* el patio.	The dog runs *through* the courtyard.
By whom	La estrella fue descubierta *por* una estudiante.	The star was discovered by a student.
Transactions	Él compró el libro *por* diez dólares.	He bought the book *for* ten dollars.
	Tres billetes *por* dos euros.	Three tickets *for* two euros.
	¡He cambiado cinco euros *por* siete dólares!	I exchanged five euros *for* seven dollars!
By/via a medium	Ella llama *por* teléfono al médico.	She is calling the doctor on the phone.
	Te enviaré la información *por* correo electrónico.	I will send you the information by email.
	Cuidado con la venta *por* internet.	Be careful with online sales (sales *via* the internet).
Per	Cincuenta millas *por* hora.	Fifty miles *per* hour.
	Una porción *por* persona.	One piece *per* person.
	Se celebra dos veces *por* año.	It’s celebrated twice *per* year.
Duration	Viajé *por* cinco días.	I traveled *for* five days.
	La banda tocará *por* dos horas.	The band will play *for* two hours.
Time of Day	*Por* la tarde	In the afternoon
	*Por* la mañana	In the morning
	Él trabaja *por* la noche.	He works at night.
Approximations	La estación está *por* aquí.	The station is *around* here.
Multiplication	Tres *por* dos, seis.	Three *times* two is six.

Por and para in comparison

There are a few ways to differentiate when to use por vs. para. This comparison will help you understand the reasoning behind why certain situations call for either of these Spanish prepositions.

With time and practice, you’ll start to separate por and para into two different categories. Take a look at some contrasting examples.

Reason vs. purpose

The difference between reason and purpose in English might seem as tricky as por vs. para in Spanish, but think about “reason” as past (por) and “purpose” as future (para).

Compré el ordenador por mis estudios. = I bought the computer because of my studies.
Compré el ordenador para tomar apuntes. = I bought the computer to take notes.

The use of por vs. para in these examples comes down to whether the focus is on the reason behind the computer purchase (because of my studies) or the purpose of the computer (to take notes). These examples illustrate these points.

Spanish Example	English Translation	Explanation
Regresé a casa *por* necesidad.	I returned home *out of* necessity.	The necessity was the reason for returning.
Regresé a casa *para* ahorrar dinero.	I returned home *in order to* save money.	The purpose for returning was to make money.
La semana pasada fui a París *por* negocios.	Last week I went to Paris *for* business.	The business was the reason for traveling.
La semana pasada fui a París *para* ver a mi prima.	Last week I went to Paris *in order t*o see my cousin.	The purpose was to visit their cousin.

You can also see this nuance in the contrast between the questions ¿por qué? and ¿para qué? which could both translate to “why?” in English.

Spanish Example	English Translation	Explanation
¿*Por qué* viajaste el año pasado?	*Why* did you travel last year?	The speaker wants to know the reason you traveled. You could give the reason, such as “for work,” or “for school.” The reason would have preceded the trip.
Viajo *por* mi trabajo.	I travel *because of* my job.	Work is the reason for traveling.
¿*Para qué* viajas este año?	*Why* are you traveling this year?	The speaker wants to know for what purpose you’re traveling. You could say the purpose is “to study,” or “to visit my family.” The purpose will take place once you get to the destination.
Viajo *para* aprender sobre otras culturas.	I travel *in order to* learn about other cultures.	The purpose for traveling is to learn about other cultures.

Traveling through vs. the final destination

Por will indicate motion through or along, whereas para will indicate movement toward a destination. Look at the difference in these examples:

Pasamos por la ciudad. = We pass through the city.
Nuestra familia está viajando por España. = Our family is traveling throughout Spain.
Hoy es domingo. Están caminando por el parque. = Today is Sunday. They are walking through the park.
Ellos van de excursión por el sendero. = They are going on a hike along a trail.

Here are other examples where por expresses movement through or along a space:

Spanish Example	English Translation	Explanation
Tiró la pelota *por* la ventana.	He threw the ball *through* the window.	The ball passes through and keeps going.
Entramos *por* la puerta abierta.	We entered *through* the open door.	We passed through and kept walking.
El autobús va *por* el centro.	The bus goes *through/around* the city center.	The bus goes through and continues moving.
Vamos a pasear *por* el río.	We are going to walk *along* the river.	We walk along but do not stay.

You will often see this use of por with verbs of motion, such as walking, leaving, or entering. You can imagine the action happening on location at that moment.

Para, on the other hand, will imply a final destination or direction. It’s one of the ways to say “to” in Spanish.

Spanish Example	English Translation	Explanation
Tienes que ir *para* allá.	You need to go *over* there.	That place is your destination.
Mañana, me voy *para* casa.	Tomorrow, I’m leaving *for* home.	Home is your destination.
Los estudiantes van *para* Costa Rica.	The students are headed *toward* Costa Rica.	Costa Rica is their destination.

The action will take the subject to the destination in a future moment. From the examples in the table, you’ll notice: You will be over there after you get up and go; I will make it home after I leave; and the students will end up in Costa Rica after they depart.

The destination can also be abstract:

Te quiero para siempre. = I will love you forever! (The love continues into the future, the future being the destination.)
¿Hay suficiente espacio en tu maleta para mis zapatos? = Is there enough room in your suitcase for my shoes? (The shoes are destined for that space).

‘By whom’ vs. ‘for someone/something’

Use por in instances when you are saying ‘by whom.’ For example, when you read a book in Spanish or listen to music, you’ll notice that who wrote, illustrated, or produced the work is indicated using por. You’ll also see this used in passive-voice constructions.

Esta pintura fue pintada por Leonardo da Vinci. = This painting was painted by Leonardo da Vinci.
La obra fue traducido por mi profesora. = The work was translated by my teacher.

In contrast, use para when you are saying ‘for someone/something.’ For example, when something is done in service to or for someone, para is used.

Es una canción para mi mamá. = It’s a song for my mom.
Trabajo para mi tío. = I work for my uncle.
Hago trajes para mis clientes. = I make suits for my clients.

Spanish Example	English Translation	Explanation
El proyecto fue completado *por* el presidente.	The project was completed by the President.	The President did the action.
Lo diseñó *para* la Reina.	He designed it *for* the Queen.	Someone did the action in service to the Queen.

‘Because of’ vs. ‘in order to’

Por can mean “because of,” or “due to” (a reason) and para can mean “in order to” (a purpose). You’ll also notice that por refers to a past cause, and para is a future effect.

Spanish Example	English Translation	Explanation
Llego tarde *por* el tráfico.	I’m late *because* of the traffic.	traffic is the reason (past)
Salgo temprano *para* evitar el tráfico.	I’m leaving early *in order to* avoid the traffic.	avoiding traffic is the purpose (future)
Juego fútbol *por* mis amigos.	I play soccer *because of* my friends.	friends are the reason (past)
Juego fútbol *para* estar sano.	I play soccer *in order to* be healthy.	staying healthy is the purpose (future)
Cancelaron el partido *por* la tormenta.	They canceled the match *due* to the storm.	the storm is the reason (past/present)
Cancelaron el partido *para* descansar.	They canceled the match *in order to* rest.	resting is the purpose (future)
Estudio francés *por* mi trabajo.	I’m studying French *because of* my job.	the job is the reason (past/present)
Estudio francés *para* trabajar en Francia.	I’m studying French *in order to* work in France.	potentially working in French is the purpose (future)

Common expressions that use por and para

There are always set expressions and idioms that will use one preposition or the other, as is the case with para and por. It can be tricky to translate these word-for-word; so, it’s best to see these expressions in context, to learn them as a set phrase, and not to worry too much about the reasoning behind them.

Expressions with por

It’s helpful to note that the majority of the set expressions will use por. In fact, you’ve probably heard some of them quite often already, like por favor (please), but others you might be hearing por primera vez (for the first time).

Gracias. Su pasaporte, por favor. = Thank you. Your passport, please.
Tiene miedo porque maneja por primera vez. = He’s afraid because he’s driving for the first time.

Spanish	English
gracias por	thank you for
por ejemplo	for example
por eso	therefore/that’s why
por favor	please
por fin	finally
por cierto	by the way
por los pelos	by the skin of one’s teeth (literally “by the hairs”)
por supuesto	of course
por todos lados	all over the place
por un lado/por otro lado	on one hand/on the other hand
por casualidad	by chance/by coincidence
por ahora	for the moment/for now
por completo/por entero	completely/totally
¡Por Dios!	For God’s sake! / For Heaven’s sake!
por error	by mistake
por hacer	pending/to-do
por lo visto	apparently/it would seem/appear that
por tanto/por lo tanto	therefore/so
por lo menos	at least
por poco	nearly/almost
por respeto	out of respect for
por suerte	luckily
por si acaso	just in case
por último	finally/lastly

As you increase your Spanish vocabulary, you’ll encounter many infinitive verbs (unconjugated verbs). Learn them with the Spanish prepositions that will always follow them. These verbs are followed by por.

Voy a votar por el presidente.= I’m going to vote for president.

Spanish	English
estar por	to be in favor of, to support
ir a por (algo)	to go and get (something)
optar por	to opt for, to choose
pagar por	to pay for
preguntar por	to ask about/after
preocuparse por	to worry about
votar por	to vote for

Expressions with para

If you treat these expressions as set phrases and chunks, para will sound correct to your ear next time you want to use them.

Spanish	English
así como para	enough to
dar para mucho	to go a long way
dar para más	to have more to give
estar dispuesto/a para	to be ready/prepared to
estar hecho el uno para el otro	to be made for each other
estar para	to be about to do something
para ayer	by yesterday (urgently)
para colmo	to top it all off
para empezar	to start/to begin
para entonces	by that time
para llevar	take-out (food)
para nada	not at all
para que	in order that/so that
para siempre	forever

Frequently asked questions about por vs. para

You can master the difference between the Spanish por vs. para by taking note of these patterns in authentic contexts with Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion learning. You’re likely to have lots of questions along the way.

Is it gracias por or para?

To say “thank you for” in Spanish, always say gracias por followed by what you’re thankful for, whether it’s a noun or verb.

Gracias por la ayuda. = Thank you for the help.
Gracias por ayudarme. = Thank you for helping me.

Are por and para interchangeable?

Though they may share an English translation, the two words are not interchangeable. Sometimes both words can be correct according to Spanish grammar, but the meaning will change.

Voy a pasear por el parque. = I’m going to stroll through the park. (within the park)
Voy a pasear para el parque. = I’m going to stroll toward the park. (ending there)

Is transportation por or para?

Transportation falls into the category of “means.” Just like “by email,” or “by internet,” you can travel using various means.

Llego por avión mañana. = I arrive by plane tomorrow.
Ella viaja por tren para trabajar. = She travels by train for work.

Is ‘congratulations’ por or para?

You’re congratulating someone for a past reason, so use por.

¡Felicitaciones por su nueva casa! = Congratulations on (because of) your new house!
¡Felicitaciones por la boda! = Congratulations on (because of) your wedding!

How can I avoid confusing por and para?

Continue to notice how por indicates a cause or reason, means, exchange or transaction, and is always the correct choice to translate “per.” Para, on the other hand, is used for purpose, recipients, deadlines, destinations, and is always the translation for “in order to.”

Rosetta Stone provides impactful opportunities for you to acquire correct grammar and syntax by listening to native speakers model the correct usage, or asking for clarification during live lessons. The good news is that even when you get confused, you can still be understood, so communicate with confidence!

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