por
preposition
1 (causa) because of
tuvo que suspenderse por el mal tiempo it had to be cancelled because of the weather; no se realizó por escasez de fondos it didn't go ahead because of a shortage of funding
nos encontramos por casualidad we met by chance
lo hago por gusto I do it because I like to
fue por necesidad it was out of necessity
por temor a for fear of
no se lo dijo por temor a ofenderla he didn't tell her for fear of offending her
no aprobó por no haber estudiado he didn't pass because he hadn't studied
por venir tarde se perdió la mitad because he arrived late he missed half of it; me castigaron por mentir I was punished for lying
le expulsaron por revoltoso they expelled him for being a troublemaker; lo dejó por imposible he gave it up as (being) impossible; esto te pasa por tonto this is what you get for being stupid
2 (objetivo) for
trabajar por dinero to work for money; daría lo que fuera por un poco de tranquilidad I'd give anything for a bit of peace and quiet; brindemos por nuestro futuro let's drink to our future
lo hizo por complacerle he did it to please her
por no llegar tarde so as not to arrive late; in order not to be late; hablar por hablar to talk for the sake of talking
3 (en favor, defensa de) for
lo hice por mis padres I did it for my parents; hazlo por mí do it for me; do it for my sake; luchar por la patria to fight for one's country
4 (elección)
su amor por la pintura his love of painting; está loca por ti she's crazy about you; no sabía por cuál decidirme I couldn't decide which to choose
5 (evidencia) judging by; judging from
por lo que dicen judging by o from what they say; por la cara que pone no debe de gustarle judging by o from his face I don't think he likes it; por las señas no piensa hacerlo apparently he's not intending to do it; it doesn't seem like he's intending to do it
6 (medio)
por su propia mano by his own hand; lo obtuve por un amigo I got it through a friend; la conozco por mi hermano I know her through my brother
por correo by post
por mar by sea
hablar por señas to use sign language
7 (agente) by
hecho por él done by him; "dirigido por" "directed by"; fueron apresados por la policía they were captured by the police
8 (modo) by
me agarró por el brazo he grabbed me by the arm; punto por punto point by point; buscaron casa por casa they searched house by house; están dispuestos por tamaños they are arranged according to size o by size
por orden alfabético in alphabetical order
9 (lugar)
se va por ahí it's that way; ¿por dónde? which way?; ir a Bilbao por Santander to go to Bilbao via Santander; cruzar la frontera por Canfranc to cross the border at Canfranc; pasar por Madrid to go through Madrid; se asomaron por la ventana they leaned out of the window
iban cantando por la calle they were walking along the street singing; paseábamos por la playa we were walking along the beach; por todas partes everywhere; por todo el país throughout the country
viajar por el mundo to travel (around) the world
10 (aproximación)
busca por ahí look over there; viven por esta zona they live around here; por aquí cerca near o around here
aquello ocurrió por abril it happened around April; por la feria round about o around carnival time; está por el norte it's somewhere up north
11 (tiempo)
se levanta por la mañana temprano she gets up early in the morning; por la mañana siempre tengo mucho trabajo I always have a lot of work in o during the morning; no sale por la noche he doesn't go out at night
12 (duración) for
será por poco tiempo it won't be for long; se quedarán por 15 días they will stay for a fortnight
13 (sustitución, intercambio) (a cambio de) for; (en lugar de) instead of
te doy este por aquel I'll swap you this one for that one; le dieron uno nuevo por el viejo they gave him a new one (in exchange) for the old one; lo vendí por 15 dólares I sold it for 15 dollars; me dieron 13 francos por una libra I got 13 francs to the pound; hoy doy yo la clase por él today I'm giving the class for him o in his place; ha puesto B por V he has put B instead of V
14 (representación)
hablo por todos I speak on behalf of o for everyone; interceder por algn to intercede on sb's behalf; intercede for sb; diputado por Madrid a member of parliament for Madrid; vino por su jefe he came instead of o in place of his boss
15 (distribución)
10 dólares por hora 10 dollars an hour; 80km por hora 80km per o an hour; revoluciones por minuto revolutions per minute; tres dólares por persona three dollars each; three dollars per person
16 (en multiplicaciones)
cinco por tres, quince five times three is fifteen; five threes are fifteen; mide 6 metros de alto por 4 de ancho it is 6 metres high by 4 wide
17 (en cuanto a)
por mí no hay inconveniente that's fine as o so far as I'm concerned; por mí, que se vaya as o so far as I'm concerned he can go; for all I care he can go; por mí, como si quieres pasar una semana sin comer I don't care if you want to go for a week without eating; si por mi fuera, tú estarías trabajando if it were o was down to me, you'd be working
18 (como)
tomar a algn por esposo/esposa to take sb to be one's husband/wife
le dan por muerto they have given him up for dead
le tienen por tonto they think he's stupid
19 (concesión)
por (muy) difícil que sea however hard it is o may be; por mucho que lo quisieran however much they would like to; much as they would like to; por más que lo intente no matter how o however hard I try; try as I might
20 (acción inacabada)
quedan platos por lavar there are still some dishes to do; aún me quedan tres páginas por traducir I still have three pages left to translate
21
ir (a) por algo/algn (en busca de) to go and get sth/sb
ha ido (a) por vino she's gone to get some wine
voy por el médico I'll go and fetch o get the doctor; voy a por él (a buscarle) I'll go and get him; (a atacarle) I'm going to get him; solo van a por las pelas they're only in it for the money; ¡a por ellos! get them!
ir a por todas to really go for it
