The rule, in plain English
Use para to point towards a goal: purpose, intended recipient, destination, deadline, employer, or viewpoint. Use por to look back at a reason or describe the route or mechanism: cause, motivation, movement through a place, means of communication or transport, exchange, price, agent in a passive sentence, or action on someone's behalf. The useful shortcut is para = intended endpoint and por = reason, route, or means, but learn common expressions in context.
Why it's hard for English speakers
English often translates both words as for, so translation alone cannot decide. Compare Lo hice para ti—intended for your benefit—with Lo hice por ti—because of you or on your behalf. Some expressions must also be learned as chunks, such as por la mañana, por ejemplo, para siempre, and estar para + infinitive.
Expanded comparison of uses
| Use | PARA: intended endpoint | POR: reason, route, or means |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose / reason | Estudio para aprender. (goal) | Lo hice por curiosidad. (motive) |
| Person | Este regalo es para Ana. (recipient) | Firmo por Ana. (on her behalf) |
| Place | Salimos para Madrid. (destination) | Paseamos por Madrid. (through/around) |
| Time | Es para el lunes. (deadline) | Estudio por la mañana. (part of day) |
| Work | Trabajo para una empresa. (employer) | Trabajo por dinero. (motivation/exchange) |
| Communication | Una guía para estudiantes. (intended audience) | Hablamos por teléfono. (means) |
| Price / exchange | — | Pagué diez euros por el libro. |
| Passive agent | — | Fue escrito por Cervantes. |
| Viewpoint | Para mí, es fácil. (in my opinion) | — |
| Comparison with a norm | Es alto para su edad. | — |
High-value expressions to learn as chunks
| With PARA | Meaning | With POR | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| para mí | in my opinion / for me | por ejemplo | for example |
| para siempre | forever | por favor | please |
| para entonces | by then | por eso | therefore / because of that |
| estar para + infinitive | be about to / be in the mood to | por la mañana/tarde/noche | in the morning/afternoon/at night |
| para que + subjunctive | so that | preguntar por | ask for/about |
Meaning changes when the preposition changes
| PARA | POR | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Lo hice para ti. | Lo hice por ti. | intended for you / because of you or on your behalf |
| Salimos para Sevilla. | Salimos por Sevilla. | headed to Seville / went out around Seville |
| Trabajo para una ONG. | Trabajo por una ONG. | employed by it / acting on its behalf |
| Un libro para niños. | Un libro por un niño. | intended for children / written or produced by a child |
Example sentence bank
Shuffling examples…
Common mistakes
- Gracias para tu ayuda.Gracias por tu ayuda.The help is the reason for the thanks, so use por.
- Estudio por aprobar el examen.Estudio para aprobar el examen.Passing is the intended goal of studying, so use para + infinitive.
- Este regalo es por Marta. (meaning it is intended for her)Este regalo es para Marta.An intended recipient takes para. Por Marta would suggest because of her or on her behalf.
- Caminamos para el parque. (meaning through the park)Caminamos por el parque.Movement through or around a place takes por; para el parque would point toward it as a destination.
Practice
Este café es ___ ti.
Gracias ___ la cena.
I study to learn = Estudio ___ aprender.
Camino ___ la ciudad.
The report is for Monday = El informe es ___ el lunes.
Viajamos ___ tren.
I bought it for twenty euros = Lo compré ___ veinte euros.
Salimos ___ Madrid mañana.