Por vs. Para. The (almost) definitive guide
Ok, this is pretty much how i have boiled down this tough one:
Para is used when you are referring to a tangible item, substance or thing, basically a noun, being given or is "for" someone or something, another noun.
Por, is used for almost everything else.
Examples:
Para:
¿Tiene dinero para ella? Do you have money for her?
Por:
Ellos quiren viajar por 5 dias. They want to travel for 5 days.
Ok, hope it helps, and don't forget to vote!
2 Answers
Those PRODDS and DREEM acronyms are fine for answering test questions, but it doesn't do much for building intuition.
Para is generally used to express destinations or specific end points. These can be physical locations, people as recipients, time deadlines, and goals. Para can mean "for," "in order to," "by," or "on."
Por is usually used to express movement through time or space. This can be a mode of transportation or movement, an exchange of objects, a duration of time, and even a motivation for doing something. Por can mean "in exchange for," "through," "because of," and also "by" or "on."
Tattle check out Learning Spanish 3 in the ''Learning tab'' and go to lesson 3.6. Listen to the video on ''Por and Para''. Paralee gives you an acronym for each word and explains exactly when to use them.
Para = PRODDS (Purpose, Recipient, Opinion, Destination, Deadline, Standards)
Por = DREEM ( Duration, Reason, Emotion, Exchange, Mode)
