Formal letter por or para

Question

If I am trying to say " I want a refund for the tires" would I say " Yo quiero un remboiso por las cubiertas" or "Yo quiero un remboiso para las cubiertas". Also, " Thank you for the consideration". Would that be "Graciás por/para la consideración"?

Answer 1

Por vs. para probably has been the most difficult thing in Spanish for me to keep straight. There are a bunch of rules for this. One is that por is used for exchange (intercambia) including sales and, I suppose, returns. Another is that por is also used for gratitude (gratitud).

It's really hard for me as well. Thank you for the help. - MadelineJen, Feb 10, 2013

Answer 2

Quiero que me devuelvan el dinero que pagué por los neumáticos.

Me gustaría si puede devolver el dinero, que he pagado por los neumáticos.

But, I think it's ' pagar para información.'

I think even with information, it would still be "por" because it's in exchange for. - sinmeta, Feb 10, 2013

Puede ser, sinmeta. I tried to look it up and ' para' was mentioned for information. I'm never sure! - annierats, Feb 10, 2013

Answer 3

I struggle with it as well, and have a hard time simply memorizing lists of uses rather than getting behind the reason, but one thing that has helped me is to think about whether or not the thing coming after the "por/para" is due to, or caused by what comes before. In other words, the way I understand it, if you mean to say something is caused by or brought about by something else you mean "por". If you mean to say, "on behalf of" or "for the benefit of" or "in substitution/standing in for" then you mean "para."

Here, the thanks are DUE TO the consideration. Or, in other words, the consideration is bringing about the thanks. By contrast, you're not thanking them on behalf of the consideration. The consideration is causing you to thank them. Thus, it's por. We use the word "for" both ways, but in Spanish you don't seem to. Thanks for the gift for me; Gracias por el regalo para mí. The gift is causing me to express thanks, which was procured for my benefit.

In your tire example, you mean "para" because you want a refund in substitution for the tires.

At least that's how I wrap my head around it, and I think it mostly works. Please someone correct me if I'm wrong, or if the rule doesn't hold somehow.

But then again I don't always get this right either. - sinmeta, Feb 10, 2013

But the reimbursement would be on exchange for returning the tires. I would think in that situation it would be "por" instead of "para". - sinmeta, Feb 10, 2013

Answer 4

To MyHeadAboveWater: (I started this as a comment but ran out of space.) and all others: Yes, there is a video lesson on this site that was mentioned in this discussion forum a week or two ago that approaches the subject that way. It helped me understand. Strangly, it doesn't seem to show up on my "record". The way I woudl try to put it more simply is that por is usually used with the doing or the processs and para is used with the result. I do not know if this theory holds true 100% of the time.

MHAW: We would really like to see your completed profile so we could better understand "where you are coming from" and how we can work together.