¿Cuándo debo usar por y cuándo debo usar para?

Question

Por favor, when does one use "por" compared with using "para"? I seldom see por used and times when I would have expected to use it, there is para instead. Is there a rule? Guideline? Muchas gracias!

Answer 1

Welcome to the forum.

Check here.

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You can also go to our popular Game: Por vs. Para for more than 100 examples.

sometimes it helps to memorize the idiomatic expressions so it becomes second nature - Ann-Frances, Nov 30, 2010

Answer 2

I seldom see por used and times when I would have expected to use it, there is para instead. Is there a rule?

I don't know what kind of Spanish you are looking at, but statistically, "por" is used nearly twice as much as "para". And why do you expect "por" sometimes if you are not even aware of the rule? (and there is a rule)

Please check the 17,348 threads we get every month asking what is the difference between "por" and "para", plus the reference section. Then, if you still do not understand why one preposition is used in a particular sentence, post that sentence and ask again.

I expect por out of my own expectations, because I am a beginner at Spanish, sorry! - Lector_Constante, Nov 30, 2010