Por or para? Two words for “for”

One English word, two Spanish ones, and a test that points the way

English says “for” for both, and Spanish splits the job. Por points back or through: the reason behind something, the thing given in exchange, the route, and the way something travels or gets done. Para points forward: the goal, where something is heading, when it is due, and who or what it is meant for.

So the question is never “does English say for here?”, because it nearly always does. Ask whether the sentence is about what is behind it, or where it is heading.

por

Points back, or through

The reason
An exchange
The route
The means

Gracias por todo.Thank you for everything.

para

Points forward

The goal
Who or what it is for
The destination
The deadline

Las flores son para ti.The flowers are for you.

On this page

The quick test
When to use por
When to use para
Giveaways to check first
When both words fit
Set phrases to learn whole
How to practise the choice

What is the quick test for por or para?

Is it about what is behind it, or the way through? That is por. Is it about where it is heading? That is para.

	por	para
Points	Back, or through	Forward
The jobs	Cause, exchange, route, means	Purpose, destination, deadline, who or what it is for
Example	Gracias por todo.Thank you for everything.	Las flores son para ti.The flowers are for you.

Saying the sentence in careful English helps, because “for” on its own points to neither word. If you would say “because of”, “in exchange for”, “through” or “by” (a phone, an email), it is por. If you would say “in order to”, “heading to”, “by” a deadline, or “for someone to have”, it is para.

When do you use por?

Four everyday jobs, all looking back at what is behind the action or the way it goes.

Job	Example
The reason	Cerrado por vacaciones.Closed for the holidays.
An exchange	Te cambio mi asiento por el tuyo.I will swap my seat for yours.
The route	Me encanta pasear por el bosque.I love walking through the forest.
The means	Hablamos por teléfono.We talk on the phone.

Three more come later, and are just as much about what stands behind the action:

In someone’s place. Firmé el contrato por mi jefe. I signed the contract for my boss.
Per, a rate or frequency. Voy al gimnasio dos veces por semana. I go to the gym twice a week.
How long something lasts. Vivimos en Quito por dos años. We lived in Quito for two years. You will also hear durante dos años, or just dos años; por here is especially common in Latin America.

When do you use para?

Four everyday jobs, all pointing forward to where the action is going.

Job	Example
The goal	Ahorramos para comprar una casa.We are saving to buy a house.
Who it is for	Mi regalo es para alguien especial.My present is for someone special.
The destination	Salimos mañana para Chile.We leave tomorrow for Chile.
The deadline	Lo tendré preparado para el martes.I will have it ready by Tuesday.

The goal is para with an action word after it, the “in order to” sense. And three more uses come later:

Your view. Para mí, esta es la mejor playa. In my opinion, this is the best beach.
Who you work for. Trabajo para una empresa chilena. I work for a Chilean company.
Considering what something is. Mi sobrina es madura para su edad. My niece is mature for her age.

Are there giveaways that settle it straight away?

A few, and they are worth checking before you think about meaning at all.

Straight after gracias, it is por. Gracias por venir. Thank you for coming.
When someone buys, sells or pays, por goes before the price, or before the thing paid for. Te doy quince pesos por la manta. I will give you fifteen pesos for the blanket.
An amount, then por, then hora, día, semana, mes or año, means “per”. No puedes pasar los 90 kilómetros por hora. You cannot exceed 90 kilometres per hour. Not when a number or un comes after it, though: Hemos alquilado la casa solo por un mes, we have rented the house for only a month, is how long, not how often.
A part of the day, or a deadline? Por la tarde says when something happens, in the afternoon. Para la tarde says it is due or planned for the afternoon.

What if both words fit?

Sometimes both are correct Spanish, and then the meaning decides. These pairs are worth reading side by side.

With por	With para
Lo hice por ti.I did it for you (for your sake).	Lo hice para ti.I did it for you (for you to have).
Caminamos por el parque.We walk through the park.	Caminamos para el parque.We walk towards the park.
Trabajo por mi padre.I work for my father (in his place, or for his sake).	Trabajo para mi padre.I work for my father (he is my boss).
¿Por qué lo hiciste?Why did you do it?	¿Para qué lo hiciste?What did you do it for?

The quick test still works on every row: por looks back at the reason or the route, para looks ahead to the goal or the destination.

Which set phrases take por?

Some are fixed, and are easiest learned whole rather than reasoned out: por favor, please; por ejemplo, for example; por eso, that is why; por supuesto, of course; por fin, at last; por lo menos, at least.

How nemiria teaches this

Por vs Para is a pair in nemiria’s Word Pairs topic. Learn sets out each rule with short examples, Test asks you to choose or type the right word, and Apply puts the pair in real sentences: you name the rule, spot the mistake, then write the sentence in Spanish. The everyday uses come at Intermediate, and the later ones at Advanced.

How to practise the choice

Check the giveaways first. Gracias, a price, a rate, a part of the day. Each one settles the sentence before meaning comes into it.

Then say the sentence in careful English. “Because of”, “through”, “in exchange for” lean one way; “in order to”, “heading to”, “by Friday” lean the other.

Learn the set phrases as words, not rules. Nobody reasons their way to por favor.