FHUHS Spanish

Por and Para can both occasionally, under specific circumstances, be translated into English as “for.” This can clearly lead to some confusion, but their use is quite distinct in Spanish nonetheless.

A basic distinction is that para is used when looking forward in time or space, the focus being on destination or end result (not the process).

Por is used when focussing on origin, or cause, or the actual passage through time and physical space. There are, of course, exceptions when viewed from a north american cultural perspective, but learning to “feel” the distinction between their use can actually lend insight into the spanish cultural perspective.

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