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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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Talking About Fun and Enjoyment in Spanish

How do you talk about having fun and enjoying yourself in Spanish? Today's lesson will cover several ways!

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"Fun" Spanish Verbs

There are several Spanish verbs that mean "to have fun," "have a good time," "enjoy oneself," etc. Let's take look. 

 

​Pasarlo bien 

The Spanish verb pasarlo bien can be translated as "to have fun" or "to have a good time." By extension, pasarlo muy bien is "to have a lot of fun" or "a great" or "really good time." Let's see these in action:

 

Mucho calor, pero lo pasamos muy bien

Very hot, but we had a really good time.

Caption 24, Blanca y Mariona Proyectos para el verano

 Play Caption
 

Sometimes we hear the reflexive version:

 

Nos lo pasamos muy bien. -Ah. 

We have a great time. -Oh.

Caption 31, Karla e Isabel Alquilar una habitación - Part 2

 Play Caption
 

Other times, we might hear the alternative version pasarla bien:

 

la pasamos bien y pudimos avanzar. 

we had a good time and we were able to move forward.

Caption 56, Eduardo y Luciana de Argentina Historia del Rio

 Play Caption

 

While all of our examples thus far have been in the preterite tense, now, let's see how we can use this verb to tell one or more people to "Have fun!" using either the command form or the present subjunctive form with que, as in the following captions:

 

pásenlo bien, hagan del mundo un mundo más bonito y

have a good time, make the world a nicer world, and

Caption 41, Víctor en Caracas Santa Claus

 Play Caption

 

Por supuesto que no. ¡Qué lo paséis bien! 

Of course not. Have fun!

Caption 38, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 7: La gemela - Part 6

 Play Caption

 

By the way, there are many, more slangy verbs to say you had a lot of fun in Spanish that involve the verb pasar and might be thought of as similar to the English expression "to have a blast." These include, but probably aren't limited to: pasarlo re bienpasarlo super (bien)pasarlo bomba, and pasarlo de diez

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Divertirse 

The Spanish verb divertirse also means "to have fun" or "have a good time." Let's see a couple of examples, one in the infinitive and another in the preterite:

 

Recuerda que lo importante es divertirse

Remember that the important thing is to have fun.

Caption 79, Isabel Lavesa Dibujo en acuarela

 Play Caption

 

¡Nosotros nos divertimos un montón!

We had a ton of fun!

Caption 6, Guillermina y Candelario La Peluqueria del Mar - Part 1

 Play Caption

 

Now, let's see the informal singular command form of this verb:

 

Eso es: Diviértete

That is: Have fun.

Caption 39, De consumidor a persona Short Film - Part 1

 Play Caption
 

Disfrutar

The Spanish verb disfrutar means "to enjoy." Let's take a look at it in action in its present indicative and subjunctive forms:

 

Disfruto tanto dibujando en acuarela o bocetando,

I enjoy watercolor painting or sketching so much

Caption 8, Isabel Lavesa Dibujo en acuarela

 Play Caption

 

Pues, que disfruten su estancia,

Well, [I hope] that you enjoy your stay,

Caption 68, Yabla en Yucatán Vicente

 Play Caption

 

Note that the Spanish verb disfrutar will often be accompanied by the preposition de to indicate what's being enjoyed:

 

nos vamos a disfrutar de la fiesta.

we are going to enjoy the party.

Caption 19, Marta Vocabulario de Cumpleaños

 Play Caption

 

Gozar 

The Spanish verb gozar also means "to enjoy" or "have a good time." Let's take a look at an example in the present indicative:

 

Lloran, se ríen, gozan;

They cry, they laugh, they enjoy;

Caption 34, Mariachi El amor de la música mexicana

 Play Caption

 

Like disfrutar, the verb gozar in Spanish is often accompanied by the preposition de to indicate what's being enjoyed, as in the sentence "Gozamos mucho del tiempo que pasamos en la costa" (We really enjoyed the time we spent on the coast). 

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"Fun" Spanish Nouns

Now, let's look at a couple of nouns that mean "fun" in Spanish. Note their similarity to some aforementioned Spanish verbs.

 

la diversión (the fun)

 

Pero a veces, la diversión no les dura ni diez minutos. 

But sometimes, the fun doesn't last even ten minutes for them.

Caption 34, Ana Carolina Bebés y medio ambiente

 Play Caption
 

el goce (the enjoyment, the pleasure)

 

El placer es una sensación de goce o satisfacción

Pleasure is a feeling of enjoyment or satisfaction

Caption 10, Aprendiendo con Silvia Pequeños grandes placeres - Part 1

 Play Caption

 

"Fun" Spanish Adjectives

Let's conclude with some Spanish adjectives that mean "fun" or "entertaining." Remember that adjectives must agree in terms of number and gender with the nouns they modify.

 

Divertido/a(s) (fun/enjoyable/amusing)

 

¡Guau! Eso sí que era divertido

Wow! That really was fun,

Caption 36, Aprendiendo con Silvia Recuerdos de infancia - Part 2

 Play Caption

 

Entretenido/a(s) (fun/entertaining/enjoyable)

 

pero en los libros vas a encontrar palabras nuevas en historias muy divertidas y entretenidas.

but in books, you're going to find new words in very amusing and entertaining stories.

Captions 5-6, El Aula Azul Mis libros preferidos - Part 1

 Play Caption

 

On that note, esperamos que hayan disfrutado de esta lección (we hope you've enjoyed this lesson), and don't forget to leave us your comments and suggestions

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Vocabulary

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The Spanish Alphabet: Letters and Pronunciation

How well do you know the Spanish alphabet? Do you know how many letters are in the Spanish alphabet? What about the number of consonants and vowels that are part of it? This lesson answers these questions and provides a series of audio clips that will help you to learn the letters and improve the pronunciation of the Spanish alphabet. Let's take a look.

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How to say alphabet in Spanish?

Believe it or not, there are actually two words in Spanish that we use to talk about the alphabet. While the most literal translation would be the word alfabeto, you can also use the word abecedario when referring to the Spanish alphabet. In fact, and according to the Real Academia Española (RAE), these two words are synonyms. 

 

How many letters are in the Spanish alphabet?

There are 27 letters in the Spanish alphabet. But do you know how many of those letters are consonants and how many vowels are in the Spanish alphabet? The answer is very simple. In the Spanish alphabet there are 22 consonants and 5 vowels (a, e, i, o, u). Let’s go over all the Spanish alphabet letters with the following 27 words:

 

A as in agua (water)

¿También tienes agua?

Do you have water too?

Caption 35, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 2: Cafe y bocadillos

 Play Caption

 

B as in burro (donkey)

El burro es un animal ideal para este tipo de actividades.

The donkey is an ideal animal for this kind of activity.

Caption 71, Rosa - Yoga con burros

 Play Caption

 

C as in coche (car)

Hoy, voy en coche porque hace mucho frío.

Today, I'm going by car because it's very cold.

Caption 16, Ariana - Cena especial

 Play Caption

 

D as in difícil (difficult)

Es muy difícil. -Muy complicado.

It's very difficult. -Very complicated.

Caption 31, Blanca y Mariona - Planificación de cena

 Play Caption

 

E as in ellos (they)

Ellos se llevan muy bien.

They get along very well.

Caption 41, El Aula Azul - Mis Primos

 Play Caption

 

F as in fácil (easy)

Basta, es muy fácil.

Enough, it's very easy.

Caption 72, Español para principiantes - Los números del 1 al 100

 Play Caption

 

G as in gente (people)

Barcelona se llena de gente.

Barcelona fills up with people.

Caption 17, Blanca - Sobre la ciudad de Barcelona

 Play Caption

 

H as in hotel (hotel)

El hotel también cuenta con un bar.

The hotel also has a bar.

Caption 73, Cleer y Lida - Recepción de hotel

 Play Caption

 

I as in iglesia (church)

Esta iglesia fue construida en mil seiscientos ochenta y uno.

This church was built in sixteen eighty one.

Caption 14, Viajando con Carlos - Popayán - Colombia

 Play Caption

 

J as in jamón (ham)

Fíjate: jamón, Javier.

Check it out: ham, Javier.

Caption 27, Fundamentos del Español - 10 - La Pronunciación

 Play Caption

 

K as in kilo (kilo)

Reciclando un kilo de vidrio...

[By] recycling a kilo of glass...

Caption 70, 3R - Campaña de reciclaje - Part 1

 Play Caption

 

L as in lago (lake)

Hay un lago.

There is a lake.

Caption 11, Natalia de Ecuador - Los adverbios de orden

 Play Caption

 

M as in mercado (market)

...y están presentes en el mercado internacional.

...and are present in the international market.

Caption 73, Europa Abierta - Champagne en Andalucía

 Play Caption

 

N as in nunca (never)

Nadie, nada, nunca.

Nobody, nothing, never.

Caption 21, Fundamentos del Español - 5 - La Negación

 Play Caption

 

Ñ as in the middle of the word niño (boy)

La frase, el niño quiere el juguete.

The sentence, "the boy wants the toy."

Caption 17, Raquel - Diminutivos y aumentativos

 Play Caption

 

O as in objeto (object)

...y "tendedero" es un objeto para la ropa

...and "tendedero" is an object for clothes

Caption 27, Karla e Isabel - Palabras

 Play Caption

 

P as in parque (park)

Aquí en Parque Fundidora.

Here in Fundidora Park.

Caption 38, Paseando con Karen - Sitios Culturales en Parque Fundidora

 Play Caption

 

Q as in queso (cheese)

Un vaso de leche y queso.

A glass of milk and cheese.

Caption 16, Recetas de Clara - Los aborrajados

 Play Caption

 

R as in rápidamente (quickly)

Vamos a ver rápidamente una frase.

We are going to look quickly at a phrase.

Caption 2, Lecciones con Carolina - Esta noche vs anoche

 Play Caption

 

S as in sal (salt)

Muchos mercaderes venían a recoger la sal.

Many merchants came to get the salt.

Caption 14, Rosa - Fuente de Piedra

 Play Caption

 

T as in trabajo (job)

¿Qué trabajo es?

What job is it?

Caption 23, Sofy y Caro - Entrevistar para un trabajo

 Play Caption

 

U as in universidad (university)

¿La biblioteca de la universidad?

The university library?

Caption 21, Español para principiantes - Hablando de ubicaciones

 Play Caption

 

V as in viento (wind)

...y un viento muy fuerte nos arrastró a mar abierto.

...and a very strong wind dragged us out to the open sea.

Caption 21, Guillermina y Candelario - La Isla de las Serpientes

 Play Caption

 

W as in wifi (wifi)

Tenemos también wifi y hay ordenadores disponibles.

We also have wifi and there are computers available.

Caption 20, El Aula Azul - Cursos y actividades de la escuela

 Play Caption

 

X as in xilófono (xylophone)

Entonces, había una persona contando un cuento y él tocando un xilófono.

So, there was a person telling a story and he [was] playing a xylophone.

Caption 28, La Sub30 - Familias - Part 4

 Play Caption

 

Y as in yuca (yucca)

Aquí tenemos la yuca.

Here we have the yucca.

Caption 7, Recetas de cocina - Carimañolas

 Play Caption

 

Z as in zona (area)

Es la primera vez que vengo a esta zona de la ciudad.

It's the first time I've come to this area of the city.

Caption 8, Karla e Isabel - Alquilar una habitación

 Play Caption

 

Spanish alphabet pronunciation

If you want to improve your pronunciation of the Spanish alphabet, please take a look at the following audio clips where Marta, one of our Spanish teachers, will teach you how to properly pronounce the Spanis alphabet letters:

 

A, B, C, D, E

A, be, ce, de, e,

A, b, c, d, e,

Caption 19, Fundamentos del Español - 1 - El Alfabeto

 Play Caption

 

F, G, H, I, J

efe, ge, hache, i, jota,

f, g, h, i, j,

Caption 20, Fundamentos del Español - 1 - El Alfabeto

 Play Caption

 

K, L, M, N, Ñ

ka, ele, eme, ene, eñe,

k, l, m, n, ñ,

Caption 21, Fundamentos del Español - 1 - El Alfabeto

 Play Caption

 

O, P, Q, R, S

o, pe, cu, erre, ese,

o, p, q, r, s,

Caption 22, Fundamentos del Español - 1 - El Alfabeto

 Play Caption

 

T, U, V, W,

te, u, uve, uve doble,

t, u, v, w,

Caption 23, Fundamentos del Español - 1 - El Alfabeto

 Play Caption

 

X, Y

equis, i griega

x, y [literally: "Greek i"]

Caption 24, Fundamentos del Español - 1 - El Alfabeto

 Play Caption

 

Z

y zeta.

and z.

Caption 25, Fundamentos del Español - 1 - El Alfabeto

 Play Caption

 

Keep in mind that you can also refer to the letter W as doble ve (double v) or doble u (double u). Similarly, you can also call the letter Y ye instead of i griega (Greek i).

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That's it for now. If you feel like practicing a little bit more, try to write one word with each one of the 27 Spanish alphabet letters. And of course, don’t forget to send us your feedback and suggestions.

 

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