Por

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “por”.

It’s a preposition that can have several meanings, including “for”, “by”, “because of” and “through”.

Some of the most common phrases and expressions in Spanish use the word “por”, including the following:

• Por favor – Please
• Por supuesto – Of course
• ¿Por qué? – Why?
• Por eso – That’s why
• Por aquí – This way
• Por fin – Finally
• Por si acaso – Just in case
• Por lo tanto – Therefore
• Por ahora – For now
• Por todas partes/Por todos lados – Everywhere
• Por la mañana/tarde/noche – In the morning/evening/night
• Mañana por la mañana – Tomorrow morning

The word “por” is often confused with the similar preposition “para”, which can also translate as “for”, but is used in different contexts. A brief summary of the differences is that “por” is often used to talk about the cause of something or the way or means in which it’s done, whereas “para” is used to refer to the purpose of an action, or the recipient. Here are some quick guidelines for when to use each:

• Por → cause, means, exchange, reason
• Para → destination, goal, recipient, purpose

The word “por” comes from Latin pro, which meant “in front of” or “on behalf of”.

Example sentences