“Por” or “para”
CEFR A2 · part 1
edumaterial's parts within the level. The European framework does not subdivide them.
“Comí” or “comía”Choosing between the two past tenses: a finished action with “comí”, a background, a…“Lo”, “la”, “le” — and they go in frontReplacing an object with “lo”, “la”, “los”, “las”, “le” or “les”, and putting the…“Saber” or “conocer”Using “saber” for facts, information and skills, and “conocer” for being acquainted with…“Me duele la cabeza”, not “mi cabeza”Using the article instead of the possessive with parts of the body and clothes, because…“Voy a menudo”: where the adverb goesPlacing “siempre”, “nunca”, “ya”, “todavía”, “a menudo” and “casi” where Spanish puts…“Ser” or “estar”: two verbs for one “to be”Choosing between “ser” and “estar” in everyday sentences: who you are and what you are…The rule, in three lines
Para looks FORWARD: purpose (estudio para aprender), destination (salgo para Madrid), deadline (para el lunes) and who something is for (es para ti). Por looks BACK or AROUND: cause (llegué tarde por el tráfico), exchange (veinte euros por la camisa), route (paso por el parque), duration (por dos horas) and “on behalf of” (lo hago por ti).
The usual slip. Choosing by translating “for”, which points at both of them, and getting gracias para todo or salgo por Madrid.
Why it catches you out. One English “for” covers both, so translation gives you no signal at all. Use the direction instead: if you can put an arrow forward — to a goal, a place, a date, a person receiving — it is “para”. If the arrow points back at a reason, or spreads around a route or a stretch of time, it is “por”.