The English word “for” can be tricky to translate into Spanish. This is because there are two words that are normally associated with “for”: por and para. When to use por vs para in Spanish is something that many of our Coffee Break learners ask us about.
The Coffee Break Spanish Show is a series of short, informal podcast episodes, in which we discuss tricky but useful topics for Spanish learners. In the latest episode, Concha and Mark discuss the uses of por and para, and how to translate “for” into Spanish.
Listen along to the audio episode, or watch the video version while you read this article. Once you reach the end, don’t miss your free worksheet, which you can download to put what you’ve learned to the test. ¡Vamos allá!
‘Por’ vs ‘para’ in Spanish
Let’s start with a quick exercise. Try to translate these sentences into Spanish. Think about how to translate “for” in each one. Then, once we’ve gone through the uses of por and para, we’ll reveal the answers at the end.
- I am going to change my phone for a new one.
- This bus is for Medellín.
- Sofía cooked for me yesterday.
Uses of ‘por’ and ‘para’
In each of those translation sentences, you will have been choosing between the prepositions por and para to translate “for”. Don’t worry if you weren’t sure which to choose each time, as it’s now time to get into when to use por vs para in Spanish.
Uses of ‘para’
The preposition para has two main uses.
“for” the recipient of an action or object
Para is used when we are talking about the recipient or receiver of an action or an object. For example:
Compraré esta camiseta para ti.
I will buy this T-shirt for you.
In this sentence, “you” are the recipient of the T-shirt, which is why “for you” is translated as para ti.
Here’s another example:
Escribí este poema para mi madre.
I wrote this poem for my mum.
Even though it is not a physical object, we use para here, too, because “my mum” is the person for whom the poem is being written.
“for” a destination
Para is also used to convey a sense of direction towards a destination. For example:
Voy para el gimnasio.
I am headed for the gym.
The gym is the destination, which is why we translate “for” as para.
Wondering what the difference is between this sentence and voy al gimnasio? In the podcast episode, Mark and Concha explain this subtle difference, so make sure to find that point in the episode.
Pronunciation point: watch out for the pronunciation of the single R sound in para, which is different to the stronger R sound in parra (meaning “vine”).
Uses of ‘por’
The preposition por is a little more complicated than para, because it doesn’t always mean “for”. However, today, we’re focusing on the situations where por can be translated as “for” in English.
Like para, por has two main uses.
“for” a reason
Por is used when we are talking about the reason for something.
Think of the question ¿por qué?, which we use to ask “why?” in Spanish. This literally means “for what (reason)?”
Let’s see an example of por:
No trabajo por el dinero; lo hago porque me gusta.
I don’t work for the money; I do it because I like it.
Here, por is used to introduce the reason for working.
In a similar sense, por is also used to talk about doing an action “for” someone, in the sense of “on behalf of” them. For example:
Mi hermana lava los platos. Hoy yo lo hago por ella.
My sister washes the dishes. Today I’m doing it for her.
Exchanging something “for” something else
Another use of por is to talk about exchanges. For example:
Compré este coche por 15.000 euros.
I bought this car for 15,000 euros.
Here, por is used to express the exchange of money for the car.
Time to test what you’ve learned about ‘por’ vs ‘para’ in Spanish
Now, keeping in mind everything we’ve learned about when to use por vs para in Spanish, have another look at your translations from the beginning and see if you’d make any changes.
When you’re ready, keep reading as we reveal the answers.
Answers
I am going to change my phone for a new one.
Voy a cambiar mi teléfono por uno nuevo.
Here, “for” indicates an exchange – your old phone for a new one.
This bus is for Medellín.
Este autobús es para Medellín.
The bus is headed towards Medellín, making it a destination, which is therefore introduced by para.
Sofía cooked for me yesterday.
Sofía cocinó por mí ayer.
Sofía cocinó para mí ayer.
Both por and para are possible here, depending on the context.
If you usually do the cooking, but Sofía is doing you a favour and making you dinner so that you don’t have to cook, we use por in this sentence.
However, ¡ojo! If Sofía is simply treating you to a nice meal she’s cooked, you are the recipient of Sofía’s cooking, and so, we use para instead.
A visual summary of ‘por’ vs ‘para’ in Spanish
For further explanation of por vs para in Spanish, join Concha and Mark in the podcast episode associated with this article. And to keep up to date with the latest episodes of The Coffee Break Spanish Show, you can subscribe to our channel on YouTube and to our podcast feed.
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We hope that you now feel more confident knowing the difference between por vs para in Spanish. Until next time, happy Coffee Breaking!
