Portuguese Grammar Lessons – Prepositions – “Por” Vs. “Para”
May 21, 2011 Leave a comment
If you’re like me you’ve probably found yourself stuck when speaking Portuguese trying to work out if the correct preposition is ´por´ or ´para´. The problem is, especially with por, that there are no single English equivalents. But, before we get to annoyed, we’d do well to remember that English prepositions are even more bountiful and confusing. (for example: the subtle differences between – good at, good with, good to, good for).
In terms of choosing which preposition to use – ‘por’ or ‘para’ – there are some guidelines that work most of the time, but you’ll still encounter the occasional blip or anomaly that doesn’t seem to make sense… you’ll just have to accept language is like that sometimes.
It is important to remember from the outset that por forms a contraction with the indefinite article in front of it. por + a = “pela”, por + o = “pelo”. VERY OFTEN, para is shortened to either para + a = pra, or para + o = pro.
Uses of por:
“On behalf of…”, “on account of…”:
“eu pago a conta por você” – “i’ll pay the bill for you.”
“pela amor de Deus!” – “for the love of God!”
“In exchange for…”:
“troco este casaco pelo seu chapéu” – “i’ll give you this coat for your hat”
In expressions of time for duration, frequency and as a marker:
“eles vieram por duas semanas” – they came for two weeks.”
“ele vai a Paris duas vezes por semana” – “he goes to Paris twice a week/two times per week.”
“pela primeira vez, vi que ela era bonita.” – “for the first time, I noticed she was pretty.”
Meaning by, through, along, via, over:
“vou pela praia.” – “i’m going along the beach”
“está por ai?” – “is it over there/around there?”
“viajo a Portugal por França” – “i travel to Portugal through/via France.”
Uses of para:
Destination:
“eu vou pra casa” – “i’m going home.”
“parabens pra você!” – “congratulations to you!” (this is the first line of the Brazilian “Happy Birthday” song.)
“ele vai pra onde?” – “where’s he going?”
Viewpoint:
“esse trabalho e muito dificil para me.” – this work is very difficult for me.”
Conclusion
To conclude, generally para is more direct and grounded in real things. Por is more indirect and often refers to concepts. Other common examples to illustrate the difference between por and para are:
“escrito por ele” – “written by him” versus “escrito para ele” – “written for him”.
“eu vou orar para Deus por vocês” – “i will pray to God for you.”
As Snoopy says in the cartoon above…
“por outro lado” – “on the other hand,” versus “vá pro outro lado” – “go to the other side.”
*Sources
Portuguese Blog 