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Por vs. Para Quiz

Do you know the difference between the Spanish prepositions por and para? Although both can be translated as "for" in certain instances, these two oft-confused words have different uses in Spanish and a wide variety of translations in different contexts. In the most general terms, por is used to indicate a cause or reason while para indicates a goal or purpose. If you need to learn or review the uses of por and para in greater detail, we recommend that you peruse Yabla's lesson entitled Por vs. Para: How to Use These Spanish Prepositions. Then, when you're ready, test your knowledge with this quiz!

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Por vs. Para: Fill in the Blank

In the following sentences, choose the preposition por or para that correctly completes each sentence. 

 

1. Las tijeras son ____ cortar. 

a. por

b. para

 

2.  Vamos a viajar  _____ Europa este verano.  

a. por

b. para

 

3. Yo voy al gimnasio cuatro veces _____ semana.

a. por

b. para

 

4. Noel tiene que entregar su trabajo  ______ el lunes. 

a. por

b. para

 

5. Lo hice ____ amor. 

a. por

b. para

 

6. Ellos prepararon una cena espectacular _______ mi familia. 

a. por

b. para

 

7.  ____ mí, Daniel es el mejor restaurante de Nueva York. 

a. por

b. para

 

8. A Guillermo le encanta caminar _____ la ribera. 

a. por

b. para

 

9. Mi mamá vino ____ visitarme. 

a. por 

b. para

 

10. Nosotros solemos estar de muy mal humor _____ la mañana.

a. por

b. para

 

11. Juan esperó _____ cuatro horas en una fila para comprar las entradas. 

a. por

b. para

 

12. Orlando compró un auto nuevo ____ mucho dinero. 

a. por

b. para

13. Carla trabaja  ______ una empresa muy famosa. 

a. por

b. para

 

14. Hay que subir ____ las escaleras para llegar al segundo piso. 

a. por

b. para

15. El edificio fue construido ____ un arquitecto muy reconocido. 

a. por

b. para

16. Los estudiantes van ____ la escuela. 

a. por

b. para

17.  _____ lo que veo, ella está enferma y no va a poder venir.

a. por

b. para

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BONUS ROUND

Choose the correct combination of the prepositions por and para to make the sentences grammatically correct.

 

18. Liliana está estudiando cinco horas ____ día ____ su examen. 

a. por, para

b. para, por

c. para, para

d. por, por

 

19. El libro que compré ____ mi mamá fue escrito ____ su autor favorito. 

a. por, para

b. para, por

c. para, para

d. por, por

 

20.  ____ la noche, me gusta caminar ____ mi barrio ____ relajarme

a. Por, por, por

b. Para, para, para

c. Por, para, para

d. Por, por, para

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Por vs. Para Quiz: The Answers

The following are the answers to all of the questions in this Por vs. Para Quiz as well as the translations and grammatical reasons for each. 

 

1. Correct Answer: b. para 

Las tijeras son para cortar. 

The scissors are for cutting. 

REASON: The Spanish preposition para is used to talk about the use of something. 

 

2.  Correct Answer: a. por

 Vamos a viajar por Europa este verano. 

We're going to travel in Europe this summer. 

REASON: Use por when talking about approximate location

 

3. Correct Answer: a. por 

 Yo voy al gimnasio cuatro veces por semana.

I go to the gym three times a week. 

REASON: When referring to the frequency of an action, choose the preposition por. Note the alternative translation in the following example from the Yabla Spanish video library:

 

Serían trescientos euros por mes

It would be three hundred euros per month

Caption 55, Karla e Isabel Alquilar una habitación - Part 2

 Play Caption

 

4. Correct Answer: b. para

Noel tiene que entregar su trabajo para el lunes.  

Noel has to turn in her project on Monday. 

REASON: When talking about a future point in time or deadline, pick para

 

5. Correct Answer: a. por 

Lo hice por amor. 

I did it for love. 

REASON: The Spanish preposition por can be used to talk about the reason for something. 

 

6. Correct Answer: b. para 

Ellos prepararon una cena espectacular para mi familia. 

They made an amazing dinner for my family. 

REASON: When naming a recipient, go with para, as in the following clip:

 

Este libro es para ti.

This book is for you.

Caption 47, Carlos y Cyndy Uso del Voseo en Argentina

 Play Caption

 

7. Correct Answer: b. para 

 Para mí, Daniel es el mejor restaurante de Nueva York. 

To me, Daniel is the best restaurant in New York. 

REASON: Para in Spanish can be employed to express a personal opinion

 

8. Correct Answer: a. por

A Guillermo le encanta caminar por la ribera. 

Guillermo loves to walk along the riverbank. 

REASON: The Spanish preposition por can be placed prior to place names to denote a course of movement within that location

 

9. Correct Answer: b. para

Mi mamá vino para visitarme. 

My mom came to visit me. 

REASON: When talking about the purpose for something, opt for the preposition para

 

10. Correct Answer: a. por

Nosotros solemos estar de muy mal humor por la mañana.

We tend to be in a very bad mood in the morning. 

REASON: When referencing the time of day, use por

 

11. Correct Answer: a. por 

 Juan esperó por cuatro horas en una fila para comprar las entradas. 

Juan waited for in a line for four hours to buy the tickets. 

REASON: The Spanish preposition por is correctly used in this sentence to describe duration, like in this similar example:

 

Por muchos años estuvo abandonado,

For many years, it was abandoned,

Caption 66, Amaya Teatro romano

 Play Caption

 

12. Correct answer: a. por 

Orlando compró un auto nuevo por mucho dinero. 

Orlando bought a new car for a lot of money. 

REASON: Por should be used to speak about financial transactions.

 

13. Correct answer: b. para

Carla trabaja para una empresa muy famosa. 

Carla works for a very famous company. 

REASON: Para is the correct Spanish preposition for referring to employment

 

14. Correct answer: a. por

Hay que subir por las escaleras para llegar al segundo piso 

You have to go up [using/with] the stairs to get to the second floor. 

REASON: Utilize por to describe the means used to do something. 

 

15. Correct answer: a. por

El edificio fue construido por un arquitecto muy reconocido. 

The building was built by a very famous architect. 

REASON: In passive sentences in Spanish, the preposition por can be employed to designate who or what performed an action

 

16. Correct answer: b. para

Los estudiantes van para la escuela. 

The students are going to the school. 

REASON: Para in Spanish can refer to the direction of or destination for some movement, as we see twice here:

 

Andrea, yo me voy para donde Amalia y usted salga para el hotel.

Andrea, I'll go to Amalia's and you go to the hotel.

Caption 42, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 2 - Part 9

 Play Caption

 

17. Correct answer: a. por

 Por lo que veo, ella está enferma y no va a poder venir.

From what I can see, she's sick and isn't going to be able to come. 

REASON: Por is the correct Spanish preposition for providing evidence that is used to form a conclusion

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BONUS ROUND

 

18. Correct answer: a. por, para

Liliana está estudiando por cinco horas cada día para su examen. 

Liliana is studying for five hours a day for her test. 

REASON: Despite the fact that both por and para are translated into English as "for" in this sentence, it is necessary to choose por in Spanish to denote duration and para to state an objective.

 

19. Correct answer: b. para, por

El libro que compré para mi mamá fue escrito por su autor favorito. 

The book that I bought for my mom was written by her favorite author. 

REASON: Here, the word para refers to a recipient while por points to the agent of an action in a passive sentence

 

20. Correct answer: dpor, por, para

 Por la tarde, me gusta caminar por mi barrio para relajarme

In the evening, I like to walk around my neighborhood in order to relax.

REASON: In this sentence, por refers to the time of day as well as a general location, and para states a purpose

 

That's all for this quiz on the Spanish prepositions por vs. para. We hope you did well! For more on this topic, be sure to check out Yabla's three-part video series, Las preposiciones 'por' y 'para' , and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.

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Words That Start with Y in Spanish

Although there aren't many words that start with the letter Y in Spanish, this letter is quite important, particularly if we think in terms of the conjunction and pronoun that are formed with it. Let's hear some clips from our popular beginner series Conversaciones en el parque:

 

The conjunction y (and) 

 

Sí, a mí me gustan las plantas y las flores y los árboles.

Yes, I like the plants and the flowers and the trees.

Captions 12-13, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 5: Me gusta mucho este parque.

 Play Caption

 

The pronoun yo (I)

 

Yo tengo dos naranjas.

I have two oranges.

Caption 29, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 5: Me gusta mucho este parque.

 Play Caption

 

Aside from these two important uses, there are a few additional words in Spanish that start with Y, and we will mention some of the most common. First, however, let's learn a couple of things about the letter Y in Spanish.

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Names for and Pronunciation of the Letter Y in Spanish

The letter Y is the 26th letter of the Spanish alphabet and has two names: "i griega," which literally means "Greek i," and "ye."

 

In terms of pronunciation, the letter "Y" in Spanish has the same sound as the vowel "I" when it stands alone, as in the conjunction y, or at the end of a word, following another vowel. Let's hear this in a few clips:

 

Como veis, estoy rodeada de paja, ¿vale?

As you can see, I'm surrounded by straw, right?

Caption 5, Amaya - Donkey Dreamland

 Play Caption

 

se siente muy enfadada, muy enojada,

they feel very angry, very mad,

Caption 25, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Frases hechas

 Play Caption

 

o a la palabra "Uruguay".

or in the word "Uruguay."

En ese caso, la "i griega" del final hace las veces de una vocal "i".

In that case, the letter "y" at the end acts as an "i" vowel.

Captions 27-28, Carlos explica - Acentuación Cap. 5: Diptongo, triptongo, hiato

 Play Caption

 

For all other instances, the letter Y adopts the consonant sound you can hear in the following words:

 

cuando el ciclista cayó al asfalto.

when the cyclist fell on the asphalt.

Caption 72, Carlos explica - Vocabulario de las matemáticas

 Play Caption

 

la papaya,

papaya,

Caption 40, El Aula Azul - Adivinanzas de colores

 Play Caption

 

¿Estás de acuerdo con Susana

Do you agree with Susana

en que el video apoya las conversaciones de paz?

that the video supports the peace talks?

Caption 27, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 9

 Play Caption

 

Now that we know its names and pronunciation, let's dive into our list of words in Spanish that start with the letter Y.

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Common Words in Spanish that Start with Y

 

ya (already)

Right behind the conjunction y and the pronoun yo, this adverb is probably one of the most frequently used words that start with Y in Spanish. 

 

ya es un gran logro personal.

it's already a great personal achievement.

Caption 52, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones

 Play Caption

 

yacimiento (site)

 

empezaron a excavar y encontraron este gran yacimiento.

they began to excavate and found this great site.

Caption 59, Amaya - Teatro romano

 Play Caption

 

yanqui (Yankee)

 

contra siglos de explotación por el imperialismo yanqui.

against centuries of exploitation by Yankee imperialism.

Caption 2, Los Tiempos de Pablo Escobar - Capítulo 1

 Play Caption

 

yate (yatch)

 

Me he comprado un yate.

I've bought myself a yacht.

Caption 23, Clase Aula Azul - La segunda condicional

 Play Caption

 

yegua (mare)

 

también una yegua

a mare as well,

Caption 34, Quito - Zoológico de Guayllabamba

 Play Caption

 

yema (yolk)

 

Así separamos la clara de la yema.

This is how we separate the white from the yolk.

Caption 52, El Aula Azul - Receta de natillas

 Play Caption

 

yerba (herb, grass)

Keep in mind that this word can also be written with "h" (hierba).

 

Y me pidió mate de bombilla

And he asked me for mate with a bombilla

y no tengo yerba.

and I don't have the [mate] herb.

Caption 50, Yago - 5 La ciudad

 Play Caption

 

yerno (son-in-law)

 

Es el yerno de mi abuelo Juan.

He's my Grandpa Juan's son-in-law.

Caption 15, Curso de español - ¿Qué relación hay entre ellos?

 Play Caption

 

yeso (cast or plaster)

 

sin tener que poner un yeso

without having to put on a cast

o algo que le limite mucho más.

or something that would limit him much more.

Caption 46, Los médicos explican - El tratamiento de las fracturas

 Play Caption

 

cuatro ladrillos de esos estuvieran pegados con yeso.

four of those bricks were glued with plaster.

Caption 55, Los Tiempos de Pablo Escobar - Capítulo 2

 Play Caption

 

yoyó or yoyo (yo-yo)

 

Me creen. Me creen. Me creen un yoyó.

They believe me. They believe me. They believe I am a yo-yo.

Me tienen pa'rriba y pa'bajo.

They've got me [going] up and down.

Captions 68-69, Muñeca Brava - 7 El poema

 Play Caption

 

yoga (yoga)

 

Cuando trabajamos en yoga las posturas,

When we work in yoga, on the postures,

Caption 5, Ana Teresa - El yoga y la columna vertebral

 Play Caption

 

yogur (yogurt)

 

Me encanta comer cereal con yogur de cerezas. -OK.

I love to eat cereal with cherry yogurt. -OK.

Caption 15, Carlos y Xavi - Diferencia de pronunciación entre España y Colombia

 Play Caption

 

yuca (yucca)

 

La yuca es una raíz... que crece en la selva,

Yucca is a root... that grows in the jungle,

Caption 66, Otavalo - Julia nos muestra las verduras

 Play Caption

 

In addition to these words, there are other Spanish words of foreign origin that start with the letter Y, such as yen (yen), yudo (judo), and yihad (jihad), just to name a few. And let's not forget one word that is hopefully helping you a lot with your Spanish: Yabla!

 

With this last familiar word, we have come to the end of this lesson. Did we leave out any important Spanish words that start with the letter Y? If so, please let us know so we can add them to this list... and don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.

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Las 10 resoluciones de Año Nuevo más comunes (Top 10 New Year's Resolutions)

Have you thought about your resoluciones de Año Nuevo (New Year's resolutions) yet? Let's go over ten of the most common propósitos de Año Nuevo (another Spanish term for "New Year's resolutions") and find out how to talk about them in Spanish. 

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The Top 10 New Year's Resolutions 

 

1. Bajar de peso (Lose weight)

After a season of comer de más (overeating), a lot of us feel we have put on a few libras (pounds) or kilos (kilograms, since much of the Spanish-speaking world uses the metric system) and wish to adelgazar (lose weight) in the New Year. 

 

Entonces, en un sentido es, quiero bajar de peso,

So, in one sense it's, I want to lose weight,

Caption 22, Cuentas claras Sobreviviendo enero - Part 1

 Play Caption

 

Another way to say "to lose weight" in Spanish is perder peso.

 

2. Hacer más ejercicio (Exercise more)

Related to losing weight and ponerse en forma (getting in shape) or volver a estar en forma (getting back in shape) is exercising. Let's see how to say this in Spanish: 

 

quiero hacer ejercicio

I want to exercise,

Caption 23, Cuentas claras Sobreviviendo enero - Part 1

 Play Caption

 

3. Empezar algún hobby nuevo (Start a new hobby)

One way to get in more physical activity might be to take up some new exercise-related hobby like el yoga (yoga), la natación (swimming), or pole dancing, to name a few, and, in fact, empezar un pasatiempo nuevo (starting a new hobby) is another common New Year's resolution.

 

Claro. Es muy importante romper con la rutina diaria y hacer cosas diferentes. Te hará sentirte mejor y desconectar del estrés.

Of course. It's very important to break the daily routine and do different things. It will make you feel better and disconnect from stress.

Captions 14-18, Karla e Isabel Nuestros hobbies

 Play Caption

 

Of course, hobbies range from physical activities to more cerebral pursuits, and for a plethora of hobby ideas and how to say them in Spanish, check out this lesson on Yabla's Top 40 Hobbies in Spanish.

 

4. Dejar de fumar/tomar alcohol (Stop smoking/drinking)

Also related to such fitness/health metas (goals) are quitting smoking and drinking (either permanently or for a while): 

 

Dejar de fumar, dejar de tomar alcohol. Por eso voy a dejar de tomar.

Give up smoking, give up drinking alcohol. That's why I am going to stop drinking.

Captions 52-53, Los médicos explican La hipertensión

 Play Caption

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5. Ahorrar dinero (Save money)

Another common resolution is to get in shape financieramente (fiscally) rather than físicamente (physically):

 

y en el lado financiero, quiero salir de deudas, quiero comenzar a ahorrar, quiero hacer un presupuesto.

and on the financial side, I want to get out of debt, I want to start to save, I want to create a budget.

Captions 25-26, Cuentas claras Sobreviviendo enero - Part 1

 Play Caption

 

6. Pasar más tiempo con amigos y familia (Spend more time with family and friends)

Pasar tiempo (spending time) with our seres queridos (loved ones) might not seem like something we have to vow to do more of, but we all too often neglect it due to being ocupados (busy), estresados (stressed), or enfocados en nuestro trabajo (focused on our jobs). And, the pandemic has definitely made us value our ability to spend time with people more than ever before. 

 

Eh... Tengo muchísimas ganas porque hace mucho tiempo que no veo a la familia y a los amigos.

Um... I really want to because it's been a long time since I've seen my family and friends.

Captions 8-9, El Aula Azul Conversación: Planes de fin de semana

 Play Caption

 

7. Viajar más (Travel more)

Having taken away our ability to travel for a time, the pandemic has also made many of us long to do so even more. A travel-related resolution might be hacer más viajes (to take more trips) generally or perhaps to finally take that special trip one has long been planning:

 

Quiero viajar a Japón este año.

I want to travel to Japan this year.

Caption 63, Clase Aula Azul Pedir deseos - Part 1

 Play Caption

 

8. Leer más (Read more) 

Carlos puts it very simply:

 

Lea más libros.

"Lea más libros" [Read more books].

Caption 42, Carlos explica El modo imperativo 2: Irregulares, Usted + plurales

 Play Caption

 

Although the aforementioned stressors might make us feel like we don't have time for la lectura (reading), many set this as a resolution because they know it can enrich their vocabulary and/or language abilities while simultaneously providing a valuable escape. 

 

9. Organizarse (Get organized)

Organizarse (getting organized) might entail cleaning up our clutter or picking up after ourselves more regularly:

 

Ahora sí, mi dormitorio está en orden.

At last, my bedroom is organized.

Caption 43, Ana Carolina Arreglando el dormitorio

 Play Caption

 

Another aspect of organization might be writing things down to avoid forgetting them or overbooking:

 

Pues yo, Montse, me lo apunto en la agenda, ¿eh?

Well, I, Montse, am writing it down in my planner, huh?

Caption 78, Amaya Teatro romano

 Play Caption

 

10. Vivir la vida a lo máximo (Live life to the fullest)

This is a more general resolution that could include having el coraje (the courage) to tackle some or many of the previous resolutions we have mentioned, as well as simply learning to vivir y valorar el momento (live and appreciate the moment). It is the notion of making the most out of each day and doing things to work towards inner paz (peace), alegría (happiness), and equilibrio (balance), while not perder oportunidades (missing out on opportunities), the specifics of which are, of course, different for each person. Let's take a look at some clips that reflect this sentiment:

 

y que vivan una experiencia, que vivan realmente el momento,

and that they live an experience, that they really live the moment

Captions 25-26, Melany de Guatemala Su Método de Actuación

 Play Caption

 

No tengas miedo. Debes ser fuerte y arriesgarte.

Don't be afraid. You should be strong and take risks.

Captions 44-45, De consumidor a persona Short Film - Part 1

 Play Caption

 

Entonces, vale la pena aprovechar la oportunidad.

So, it is worth it to take advantage of the opportunity.

Caption 29, Outward Bound Fabrizio

 Play Caption

 

Cumplir con los propósitos de Año Nuevo

Now that we have established them, ¿cómo cumplir con los propósitos de Año Nuevo (how do we keep our New Year's resolutions)? With a lot of enfoque (focus), disciplina (discipline), and determinación (determination), and by setting objetivos realistas (realistic goals) and working on them poco a poco (bit by bit). That said, les deseamos mucha suerte (we wish you a lot of luck) following through with your New Year's resolutions a largo plazo (in the long term)... and don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments!

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Ganas: What We Want to Do

Pensamos que el agua, que el aire, que el suelo es nuestro y podemos hacer lo que nos dé la gana. No es cierto.

We think that the water, the air, the land is all ours and we can make what we feel like. That's not true.

Captions 10-13, De consumidor a persona - Short Film - Part 2

 Play Caption

 

BANNER PLACEHOLDER

Gana, meaning "wish" or "will," is a noun that plays a key role to express wishes or desires in Spanish. The expression darle (a alguien) la gana means "to feel like" or "to want to."

lo que me dé la gana
what I feel like

lo que te dé la gana
what you feel like

 

...y te puedes venir aquí cuando te dé la gana, ¿yo te voy a perdonar?

...and you can come here whenever you feel like it, I am going to forgive you?

Caption 22, Yago - 11 Prisión

 Play Caption

 

lo que le dé la gana
what you feel like / what he-she feels like

 

¡Salte de alegría cuando le dé la gana!

Jump for joy whenever you feel like it!

Caption 4, Kikirikí - Animales

 Play Caption

 

lo que les dé la gana
what you [pl.] feel like / what they feel like

 

¿Hasta cuándo van a seguir haciendo lo que les dé la gana?

Until when are you guys going to keep doing whatever you [pl.] feel like?

Caption 42, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 3

 Play Caption


Even more common is the pairing of the verb tener ("to have") with the plural ganas, as in:

 

Tenía ganas de hacer algo, con eso y...

I wanted to do something, with it and...

Caption 68, Biografía - Natalia Oreiro

 Play Caption

 

BANNER PLACEHOLDER

Natalia is saying: "I wanted to do something with this." The word-for-word translation might have you thinking she had the will to do it, but common understanding is simply that she felt like it, or wanted to do it.

 

Tengo muchas ganas de aprender español.
I really want to learn Spanish.

 

A mí... yo tengo muchas ganas.

I... I really want to.

Caption 21, Amaya - Teatro romano

 Play Caption


No tengo ganas de parar ahora.
I don't want to stop now.

 

Gracias, Merycita, pero no tengo ganas de jugar.

Thank you, Merycita, but I don't feel like playing.

Caption 58, Club 10 - Capítulo 1

 Play Caption

 

Vocabulary