Por and Para and Other Common Prepositions
Por and para both translate as 'for' in English but are not interchangeable: para points forward, towards a purpose, destination, deadline or recipient, while por looks at a cause, a means, an exchange or a duration. This topic also covers other high-frequency prepositions that GCSE students confuse: a (to, at, and before a person as a direct object), en (in, on, at, by transport), de (of, from, possession) and con (with). The examiner is testing whether a student can apply a reliable decision procedure to choose por or para under exam pressure, rather than guessing or memorising isolated phrases, and whether prepositions after fixed verbs (ir a, pensar en, soñar con) are learned as whole units.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Ask a single question first: does this sentence look forward to a goal, destination, deadline, recipient or purpose (para), or does it look at a cause, reason, exchange, route or duration (por)? Decide the direction before choosing a word.
- Use para for: a destination (Salgo para Madrid), a deadline (Lo necesito para el lunes), a recipient (Este regalo es para ti), a purpose meaning 'in order to' + infinitive (Estudio para aprobar el examen), and an opinion/standard (Para mí, el español es fácil).
- Use por for: a cause or reason meaning 'because of' (Llegué tarde por el tráfico), a means or method (Hablamos por teléfono), an exchange of one thing for another including prices (Pagué veinte euros por el libro), duration of time (Estudié por dos horas), and movement through/along a place (Caminamos por el parque).
- If unsure, test whether 'in order to' fits naturally before the verb - if it does, it is almost always para + infinitive; if the sentence is instead explaining why something happened (the reason behind it), it is almost always por.
- Learn a small set of fixed expressions by heart rather than reasoning them out each time: por favor, por fin, por eso, por ejemplo, por supuesto, and gracias por + noun/infinitive, which always takes por, not para, because it explains what you are thanking someone for.
- For the other prepositions, learn them attached to their verb as one unit rather than translating word for word: ir a, jugar a, empezar a, pensar en, tardar en, soñar con, casarse con, depender de, tratarse de - the English preposition after the equivalent verb is often different or absent.
- Remember the personal a: place a directly before a specific person (or a named pet) used as a direct object, with no direct English translation: Veo a mi hermano, but Veo la televisión (no personal a before a thing).
Worked example
Choose por or para for each gap and explain why: (1) Compré este regalo ___ mi madre. (2) Hablamos ___ teléfono todos los días. (3) Trabajo mucho ___ ganar dinero. (4) Pagué diez euros ___ la entrada.
- Gap 1: mi madre is the recipient of the gift, and a recipient looks forward to who receives something, so use para: Compré este regalo para mi madre.
- Gap 2: teléfono is the means by which the speakers communicate, and a means or method takes por: Hablamos por teléfono todos los días.
- Gap 3: 'in order to earn money' fits naturally before ganar, marking a purpose, so use para + infinitive: Trabajo mucho para ganar dinero.
- Gap 4: diez euros is exchanged for la entrada (the ticket), and an exchange of one thing for another takes por: Pagué diez euros por la entrada.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Q1Choose por or para: Este ejercicio es ___ mañana.Show answer
Answer: para - a deadline: Este ejercicio es para mañana.
Q2Choose por or para: Gracias ___ tu ayuda.Show answer
Answer: por - gracias por + noun always takes por.
Q3Translate: 'I walked through the park for two hours.'Show answer
Answer: Caminé por el parque por dos horas (both uses of por here are route and duration).
Q4Choose por or para: Estudio mucho ___ sacar buenas notas.Show answer
Answer: para - purpose, in order to: para sacar buenas notas.
Q5Complete the fixed verb phrase: Mañana empezamos ___ estudiar para los exámenes (choose a/en/con).Show answer
Answer: a - empezar a + infinitive.
Q6Translate: 'This letter is for you.'Show answer
Answer: Esta carta es para ti.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE Spanish exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Translate this passage into English: Salgo para Barcelona mañana por la mañana para visitar a mis primos. Compré los billetes por internet porque eran más baratos, y pagué solo treinta euros por cada uno. Vamos a quedarnos allí por una semana.
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Translate into Spanish: 'This present is for my grandmother. We are travelling by train because it is faster, and I need to finish my homework for Monday.'
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See real GCSE Spanish past-paper questions, with official mark schemes →
Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the por and para and other common prepositions worksheet pack - 7 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
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