Por v.s. Para, the age old debate!!!

Question

Hello All,

Please help us. My study group and I have come up with an official name for ourselves. The downside, we're stuck on whether to use por or para. The English translation for the group name is "Spanish for Life". However, we're split on whether the Spanish translation is "Español por la vida", or" Español para la vida". Could someone please help us settle this debate?

Thanks, Vivi

Answer 1

I always use the same explanation for these prepositions, which are simpler than people think:

"Español por la vida" - Spanish because of life

"Español para la vida" - Spanish towards life

"For" in English has over 30 different uses, and not all of them can be directly translated with a simple "por" or "para". Here, you have to go for "para toda la vida", "de por vida", "por/para siempre".

Answer 2

If you mean Spanish for the essence of life, then you could use either of Larazus´suggestions depending on your own interpretation of the phrase.

If you mean Spanish forever as Jeezzle has indicated, and you want to use "vida," then you could say "Español para toda la vida."

Lazarus said, at the end of his post "por/para siempre" That's my favorite choice. - Gekkosan, Mar 28, 2011

Answer 3

The destination or ending point for any object or person is indicated with para.

So I would say "para".

Answer 4

Español para siempre.

Answer 5

You made a bit of an error translating "for life."

For life = forever, all of life, etc.

So, "Espanol para siempre" or "Espanol para toda la vida"