Por vs Para
Por y para
When to use por and when to use para.
The rule
Jennifer's rule. Use PARA for: destino (destination), objetivo o finalidad (purpose/goal), fecha límite (deadline), and opinión. Use POR for: causa o razón (cause/reason), medio (means), intercambio (exchange), movimiento por un lugar (movement through a place), tiempo aproximado (approximate time), and agente (the doer, in passive sentences). Shorthand: PARA looks ahead to a goal or endpoint; POR looks back to the cause or the means.
Examples
Salí de casa por la mañana para ir a la oficina.
I left home in the morning to go to the office. (por = approximate time; para = purpose, both in one sentence)
Compré una pulsera por diez euros.
I bought a bracelet for ten euros. (por = exchange (price))
Llegué tarde por el tráfico.
I arrived late because of the traffic. (por = cause)
Entregué el informe para las tres.
I handed in the report by three o'clock. (para = deadline)
Este regalo es para tu cumpleaños.
This gift is for your birthday. (para = destination/occasion)
Try it yourself
Three quick questions, straight from the app. No sign-up needed.
¿Vamos a caminar ___ el centro hoy?
Shall we walk around the centre today?
All 20 Por vs Para questions, free in Hablaba
Hablaba spots this exact rule in your real conversations and points you back to the quiz for it. The drills feed the speaking, which is the point of the whole app.
Get one new rule like this each week: