When to Use Por or Para in Spanish | The Language Tutor *Lesson 47*

Summary

In this Spanish lesson, the instructor explains the differences between the prepositions 'por' and 'para', which both translate to 'for' in English. Through practical examples, the video demonstrates how 'por' is used for movement, means of communication, exchange, duration, and cause, while 'para' is used for destination, recipients, deadlines, and purpose. The lesson encourages viewers to practice and explore these prepositions in various contexts to gain fluency. The instructor also offers motivation for further learning and suggests using podcasts to reinforce the material.

Takeaways

• 😀 Por and Para are both commonly used in Spanish to express 'for', but they have distinct meanings and uses.
• 😀 'Por' can mean 'through', 'along', or 'by way of', often referring to movement or travel.
• 😀 Example: 'I traveled through Costa Rica' is translated as 'Viajé por Costa Rica'.
• 😀 'Por' is also used to indicate the means of communication, such as 'I contacted her by phone' ('La contacté por teléfono').
• 😀 'Por' can indicate exchange, such as 'I paid three dollars for the hamburger' ('Pagué tres dólares por la hamburguesa').
• 😀 Duration of time is another use of 'por', for example: 'I am going to work for eight hours' ('Voy a trabajar por ocho horas').
• 😀 'Por' can express motivation or reason behind an action, such as 'Because of her love for children, she wants to be a teacher' ('Por su amor a los niños, quiere ser maestra').
• 😀 'Para' is used for expressing destination, such as 'We are leaving for Spain' ('Salimos para España').
• 😀 'Para' can also indicate a recipient, as in 'I bought this shirt for Juan' ('Compré esta camisa para Juan').
• 😀 Deadlines are expressed with 'para', as in 'I need the presentation by Thursday' ('Necesito la presentación para el jueves').

Q & A

What is the primary focus of this Spanish language lesson?

The lesson focuses on the differences between the Spanish words *por* and *para*, explaining their various meanings and uses in different contexts.

How is *por* used in the context of traveling?

*Por* is used to mean 'through' or 'along', as in 'I traveled through Costa Rica' or 'we walked along the beach'.

What does *por* mean in terms of communication?

*Por* is used to describe the mode or means of communication, such as 'I contacted her by phone' ('contacté por teléfono').

How does *por* express duration of time?

*Por* is used to indicate the duration of an activity, like in the sentence 'I am going to work for eight hours today' ('voy a trabajar por ocho horas').

When is *por* used to express motivation or reason?

*Por* can be used to explain the reason behind an action, such as 'She wants to be a teacher because of her love for children' ('por su amor a los niños').

What is the main function of *para* in terms of destination?

*Para* is used to indicate the destination or endpoint, such as 'We are leaving for Spain' ('salimos para España').

How does *para* relate to recipients?

*Para* is used to indicate the recipient of an action or object, as in 'I bought this shirt for Juan' ('compré esta camisa para Juan').

What role does *para* play when talking about deadlines?

*Para* is used to express deadlines or specific times by which something should be done, such as 'I need the presentation by Thursday' ('necesito la presentación para el jueves').

How is *para* used to express goals or purposes?

*Para* is used to explain the goal or purpose of an action, such as 'I study a lot in order to get good grades' ('estudio mucho para sacar buenas notas').

What advice does the instructor give for mastering *por* and *para*?

The instructor advises practicing the usage of *por* and *para* regularly, and then expanding your knowledge by researching additional examples and applying them in different contexts.