Por/Para dos personas

Question

Hola Discover Spanish podcast course teaches: Nececito una reservation por dos noches para dos personas.

BBC online course Mi Vida Loca teaches: Nececito una reservation para dos noches para dos personas.

Which is correct? Gracias

Vale, I' more confused than ever after reading comments and researching por siempre vs. para siempre. Por is used with exact time as in "por dos minutos" so where does the concept of por being used for an uncertain amount of time come from? - elJim, Nov 14, 2013

Or is "para dos minutos" used for exactly two minutes while "por dos minutos" used for around two minutes? - elJim, Nov 14, 2013

Answer 1

Whatever the grammatical rules behind the scenes, I have both heard, and seen taught, (specifically in this context no less) both por and para. It's usually one or the other, and one may be better (I learned por for duration first,and so tend to lean that way) but I've seen both for sure. No idea why.

See my answer,it has introduced a terible complication in my learning, both can be correct, depends what you mean.. - annierats, Nov 13, 2013

Answer 2

Although we sometimes hear both, the first variant is correct gramatically

"Nececito una reservation por dos noches para dos personas"

because the recipients of the reservation are the two people and not the two nights. We even say "reserva de dos noches", which can better indicate the relationship between "reservación" and "dos noches."

I agree about the ' de'. Avoid all problems! - annierats, Nov 13, 2013

Answer 3

I was recently taught that for a very specific time you use ' para'. Para dos noches.

If it is a more vague timing, I would like a room for a week, or so, then you use 'por'.

I'm sorry if this doesn't tally with your teachings, it came as a surprise to me too, but I think it correct. My teacher warned me to listen out , if somebody says they will come at a certain time such as in August, but they use 'por augosto' they mean they may come in September, or sometime later..

And it is always ' para siempre', set expresion.

Answer 4

I believe "por dos noches" is correct because por is used with time. Por siempre. Por la mañana. Etc.

However, according to my wife "hay gente que usen para dos noches y hay gente que usen por dos noches no se por que".