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!
In the following sentences, choose the preposition por or para that correctly completes each sentence.
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
Choose the correct combination of the prepositions por and para to make the sentences grammatically correct.
a. por, para
b. para, por
c. para, para
d. por, por
a. por, para
b. para, por
c. para, para
d. por, por
a. Por, por, por
b. Para, para, para
c. Por, para, para
d. Por, por, para
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.
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: d. por, 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.
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:
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
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.
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.
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
empezaron a excavar y encontraron este gran yacimiento.
they began to excavate and found this great site.
Caption 59, Amaya - Teatro romano
Play Caption
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
Me he comprado un yate.
I've bought myself a yacht.
Caption 23, Clase Aula Azul - La segunda condicional
Play Caption
también una yegua
a mare as well,
Caption 34, Quito - Zoológico de Guayllabamba
Play Caption
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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!
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
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
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
French
German
Italian
Chinese
English
English 
Français
Deutsch
Español
Italiano
Português
