Por la tarde vs. en la tarde

Question

Okay, I know this is a basic question, but I am a beginner.

I have gotten a little upset at myself for not being able to do preterite and imperfect past tenses without at least 15-30 seconds of thought (which is the point I am at), so decided I would pick up a new book and work back up to that. Namely Dorothy Richmond's "Spanish verb tenses". In doing the first translation exercise in one sentence the English was:

I study Spanish in the morning and I work in a restaurant in the evening.

I, of course, put: Estudio español por la mañana y trabajo en un restaurante por la tarde.

The correct answer in the answer key: Yo estudio español en la mañana y yo trabajo en un restaurante en la tarde.

I looked at the old posts and por seems to be the favored preposition, but I saw posts by native Spanish speakers where en was used

Are they equally acceptible or does one sound better (or is it regional, in which case I really would like to know what a Mexican speaker would do).

Great question! - --Mariana--, Oct 1, 2010

Answer 1

In Spain, "por la mañana" and "en la mañana" would serve different purposes.

"Por la manaña" would be a generic way of referring to any morning ("ayer por la mañana") or none in particular ("estudio inglés por la mañana"), just like in your example.

"En la mañana" would have to refer to a particular day, like in "en la mañana del jueves pasado me pasó algo muy curioso" or "en la mañana del 7 de diciembre de 1942 comenzó el ataque a Pearl Harbor".

Great answer! - cogumela, Oct 1, 2010

Si !! - kawalero, Oct 1, 2010

Answer 2

I say:

Son las cinco de la mañana (specific time)

Normalmente, viene por la mañana (general time)

Mañana trabajo en la noche (specific day)

Answer 3

Although I'm not a native speaker - as you have no answers yet I'll give my thoughts.

Personally I would shy away from 'en' la mañana. Although I can't categorically state that it's wrong (even though I think it is and want to, lol) I think it is more correct to use por or de.

por la mañana in the morning (no specific time)

de la mañana in the morning (specific time)

I hope that helps

Answer 4

"Por la mañana" in Spain.

Not use "En la mañana" and sound stranger.

English correction --- Do not use "en la mañana" because it sounds strange. - --Mariana--, Oct 1, 2010

ok.Thanks. - kawalero, Oct 1, 2010

Answer 5

Now this is how a ??? versus !!!!!! should be placed. Plenty of context and not just "one word versus another". Well done stadt.

Por mi parte prefiero "por la mañana o por la tarde".

Shouldn't you have said, "Para mi?" - pesta, Oct 1, 2010

Don´t think so. Try this link. http://www.wordmagicsoft.com/dictionary/es-en/por mi parte.php - Eddy, Oct 1, 2010

I thought /understood that both ways are acceptable/used - FELIZ77, Oct 1, 2010

That may well be the case but "para" in this context just sounds strange to me. - Eddy, Oct 1, 2010

"Para mí prefiero" is a no-no. You can use it with other verbs, like: "para mí, no hay otro mejor". - bill1111, Oct 1, 2010

Answer 6

En la mañana is fine, but better for around Texas, Mexico, Mexicans. Not used so much in Spain from what I hear. Maria is right about the rest.

Answer 7

link

Answer 8

Thanks for all the great answers, I think I have it now.

It sounds like my version is preferable to the book's, maybe she was just trying to keep it simpler as it was a basic exercise. I would prefer however to learn it correctly. I assume the book is teaching Spanish Spanish (español de España- it sounds weird in English) as I keep having to ignore the vosotros forms.

"Vosotros" seems to suggest that, but keep in mind that as I said in my reply we'd say "Estudio español por la mañana", just like you originally thought, so it seems the editors were mixing tids and bits in there. - bill1111, Oct 1, 2010

Is that English, in American we say bits and pieces, but tids sounds like something the English would say - Stadt, Oct 1, 2010

We say/use the expression 'bits and pieces' to mean all those additional little extras people add to things :) - FELIZ77, Oct 1, 2010

It happens when you are trying to remember something and come up empty, you write the first thing you can think of :) - bill1111, Oct 1, 2010

Answer 9

Thanks lorenzo9

from the link:

Trabajo por la mañana es correcto en todos los países. En México y quizás otras partes de latinoamérica se puede decir: Trabajo "en" la mañana, pero esta forma no sería aceptable en España.

I also read somewhere that Mexicans sometimes use "¿Qué horas son?" - Stadt, Oct 1, 2010

It's possible. It's funny, because in Spain we ask: "¿qué hora es?", and most of the time the reply begins with: "son las..". It would be more logical to ask "¿qué horas son?" - bill1111, Oct 2, 2010

Answer 10

Thanks, I have that book, too and I was curious about that question.