The difference between the prepositions “por” and “para” is challenging for most Portuguese learners. There are a few rules that you need to follow and some expressions that you need to memorize. However, with practice, you can get this right.
In general, both “por” and “para” can mean “for.” Nevertheless, in many contexts, they can also mean “by,” “per,” “in order to,” “because of,” and some other meanings. Let us take a look at some of these contexts.
Uses of “Por”
1. To denote reason or motive, for example:
| Estaremos atrasados por causa do trânsito. | We’ll be late because of the traffic. |
| Ele morreu por falta de água. | He died due to a lack of water. |
2. To denote duration, for example:
| Te espero por duas horas. | I’ll wait for you for two hours. |
| Estarei na Espanha por três dias. | I will be in Spain for three days. |
3. To denote agency, usually meaning “by,” for example:
| O livro foi escrito por um autor anônimo. | The book was written by an anonymous author. |
| Eles são amados por seus pais. | They are loved by their parents. |
4. To denote equivalency or exchange, for example:
| Troquei meu carro por um novo. | I changed my car for a new one. |
| A farinha custa dois dólares por quilo. | The flour costs two dollars per kilo. |
5. To denote travel itinerary, usually meaning “through,” for example:
| Eu quero ir para a Suíça pela Itália. | I want to go to Switzerland through Italy. |
| Podemos ir pelo parque. | We can go through the park. |
6. To denote means of travel or communication, usually meaning “by” or “via,” for example:
| Enviaram o documento por fax. | They sent the document by fax. |
| Entrarei em contato por telefone. | I am going to contact you by phone. |
Uses of “Para”
1. To denote a goal or objective, usually meaning “in order to,” for example:
| Trabalho para ganhar dinheiro. | I work in order to earn money. |
| Vou para a universidade para estudar. | I go to the university to study. |
2. To denote destination or direction, for example:
| O trem parte para Nova York. | The train leaves for New York. |
| Viajaremos para a Colômbia. | We will travel to Colombia. |
3. To denote the recipient of an object, for example:
| É para você. | This is for you. |
| Este presente é para o meu amigo. | This gift is for my friend. |
4. To denote an opinion, for example:
| Para mim, é ridículo. | For me, it’s ridiculous. |
| Para ela, futebol não é diversão. | In her opinion, soccer is not fun. |
5. To denote the contrast of an idea, for example:
| Para uma criança, ele fala muito bem. | For a child, he speaks very well. |
| Ele está bem de saúde para sua idade. | He’s in good health for his age. |
Common Expressions with “Por” and “Para”
There are certain expressions that use “por,” such as:
| por Deus | Oh my God! | pelas dúvidas se por acaso | just in case |
| por favor | please | por exemplo | for example |
| por sorte | luckily | por isso | that’s why |
| por cento | percent | por tua culpa | because of you |
and others that use “para,” such as:
| para sempre | forever | para variar | just for a change |
| para completar | to top it all | para começar | for starters |
| para outra hora para outro momento | for another time | para que | so that |
Next: The Verb “to Know”: “Saber” vs. “Conhecer”
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