Por vs. Para
Learning when to use por and when to use para can be tricky. Meaning "for", "by", "in order to" "through", "because of", ... it is no wonder this is one of the most difficult Spanish language lessons, but luckily (por suerte) for you we are here to help! When to use Por:
Motivation or Reason: Lo hice por ti. (I did it for you.)
Travel: Vamos por Merida. (We’re heading in the direction of Merida.)
Communication: Le aviso por telefono. (I’ll let him know by phone.)
Exchanges: Te lo doy por $15 pesos. (I’ll give it to you for $15 pesos.)
Periods of time: Voy por una semana. (I’m going for one week.)
When to use Para:
Purpose or Goal: Quiero estudiar para mejorar mi español. (I want to study to improve my Spanish.)
Destination: El grupo va para Chetumal al rato. (The group is going to Chetumal later on.)
Recipient: Este regalo es para mi hermana. (This gift is for my sister.)
Deadline: Necesito la propuesta para mañana. (I need the proposal by tomorrow.).
Unfortunately, there’s not a friendly acronym for these but once you start using them more in conversations it will start becoming second nature. There are also specific phrases to look out for that don’t seem to fit into any of the above rules. e.g. por favor or por ejemplo.
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