How to Use 'Por' and 'Para' in Portuguese

TL;DR

In European Portuguese, 'para' is used to express goals, functions, destinations, recipients, and personal impact, while 'por' is used in passive voice, on behalf of someone, paths, approximate times, exchanges, and gratitude. Understanding these contexts helps learners use these prepositions correctly, as they lack direct translations in English.

Transcript

Hello everyone and welcome back to Portuguese With Leo! In today's episode I will try to help you to understand one of the most difficult things when you are learning Portuguese, which is when to use the word por and when to use the word para. I'll start by first explaining the situations where we use the word para and then the situations where we ... Read More

Key Insights

• Para is used to express goals, such as 'I workout to get in shape.'
• Para indicates the function of an object, like 'This pen is for writing.'
• Para is used for destinations and directions, such as 'I'm going to the Algarve by train.'
• Para denotes recipients, as in 'I bought a gift for my mother.'
• Para expresses personal impact, like 'Learning Portuguese is important for me.'
• Por is used in the passive voice, e.g., 'The house is cleaned by João.'
• Por indicates doing something on behalf of someone else, such as 'I go grocery shopping for him.'
• Por is used for exchanges or purchases, like 'I bought this t-shirt for 15 euros.'

Questions & Answers

Q: How to use 'para' in Portuguese?

In Portuguese, 'para' is used to express goals, functions, destinations, recipients, and personal impact. For example, 'I workout to get in shape' uses 'para' to indicate a goal. It is also used for specific destinations, as in 'I'm going to the Algarve by train.'

Q: What are the uses of 'por' in Portuguese?

The preposition 'por' is used in Portuguese for passive voice, doing something on behalf of someone else, paths, approximate times, exchanges, and expressing gratitude. For example, 'The house is cleaned by João' uses 'por' to indicate the agent in passive voice.

Q: When should 'para' be used for destinations?

'Para' is used for specific destinations and directions in Portuguese. It indicates where someone or something is moving towards. For instance, 'I'm going to the Algarve by train' uses 'para' to specify the destination.

Q: How does 'por' function in the passive voice?

In Portuguese, 'por' is used in the passive voice to indicate the agent performing the action. It follows the verb and precedes the subject. For example, 'The house is cleaned by João' uses 'por' to show João is the one cleaning.

Q: What is the role of 'por' in exchanges?

'Por' is used in Portuguese to express exchanges or purchases. It indicates what is given in return for something else. For example, 'I bought this t-shirt for 15 euros' uses 'por' to denote the exchange of money for the item.

Q: How is 'para' used to express personal impact?

'Para' is used in Portuguese to express how something affects a person personally. It denotes the importance or significance of something to someone. For instance, 'Learning Portuguese is important for me' uses 'para' to show personal impact.

Q: What does 'por' indicate when referring to paths?

In Portuguese, 'por' indicates the paths or routes taken during movement. It shows where someone or something passes through. For example, 'The thief entered through the window' uses 'por' to describe the path of entry.

Q: How do 'por' and 'para' differ in expressing gratitude?

'Por' is used in Portuguese to express gratitude, as in 'obrigado por.' It is the correct preposition when thanking someone for something. 'Para' is not used in this context, as it does not convey the same meaning of gratitude.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The preposition 'para' in Portuguese is used to express goals, functions, destinations, recipients, and how something affects someone personally. For example, 'I workout to get in shape' uses 'para' to indicate a goal. It is also used for specific destinations, such as 'I'm going to the Algarve by train.'

• The preposition 'por' is used in several contexts, including the passive voice, doing something on behalf of someone else, and for exchanges or purchases. For instance, 'The house is cleaned by João' uses 'por' to indicate the agent in passive voice.

• Understanding the contexts for 'por' and 'para' is crucial as they do not have direct translations in English. 'Por' is also used for paths, approximate times, and to express gratitude, while 'para' is used for personal impact and recipients.