The difference between para & por

What's the difference between the use of para & por??? both of them mean "for".

Can anyone explains this to me?

Hola Fiona,

Here's a link that will help you, too much typing for me to explain. With time which one to use will become natural to you, took me awhile, but I'm pretty confident about them now. Buena suerte.

Saludos,
Ricardo

http://www.studyspanish.com/lessons/porpara.htm

Here is another link that may help:

http://www.drlemon.com/Grammar/por-para.html

and here is another thread on this very topic:

http://members.rocketlanguages.com/members/forum/spanish-grammar/por-versus-para
 

I don't worry about it anymore if I interchange it. Just like using the preterite or past imperfect. I just want to increase my vocab.

While not yet to the degree of Ricardo, I too am developing an instinct for por o para, as well as ser o estar. This is one of the advantages of doing a cambiar, either speaking or writing, with a native speaker. You get to try out your instinct and get instant feedback if you were right or not. I suspect that almost always making the correct choice is one of the measures of fluency, so it is something to be worked toward.

I agree Dan. I have realized that early on I have been getting too hung up on trying to perfect complicated areas like por and para, ser and estar, the indirect and direct object pronouns, the eso/ese/esta/este etc. Although of course important ey are not worth slowing down your progress for and getting obsessed with, certainly as a beginner time can be better spent working through even greater grammatical themes like irregular verbs and past tense. Quite often learning more in other areas also helps the penny to drop in these. As I am trying out my sentences in Spain I do not worry so much if I am getting por and para correct but if the sentence can be understood by the native speaker.
However, one day I do hope to perfect por and para!!

I keep a copy of DRLemon's por-para wheel (referenced by Robert above)  in my notebook and find it a very helpful reference. My tutor told me just this week that the graphic description of por being a means to an end and para being the end result is one of the best explanations she has ever seen.

I recently asked this question (about por and para) to a native Spanish speaker and basically he said it's something you just learn as you are exposed more and more to the language.  Like all prepositions in all languages, they can be a pain in the butt.  On a site where I correct Spanish speakers' English, the most common mistakes involve mis-using prepositions.  There are a few rules, but so many exceptions, that it just seems like something that is only mastered with lots of exposure. 

That is very true. I remember in French, you basically had to learn the verb and the preposition that goes with it at the same time.