para versus por

I keep making errors in the exercises about when to use “para” and when to use “por.” Is there a good rule to explain the usage of these words?

If you have the Level 2 course, 11.6 POR vs. PARA is what you are looking for. 

It is complicated (isn't it always?!), but the easy starting rule is:

• Por is normally used to look backwards, towards the cause.
• Para is normally used to look forwards, towards the effect.

The lesson then goes on to look at 13 different use cases, then explains Por Qué vs Para Qué. No wonder we all struggle!

Thanks Scott. I will eventually do Level 2, so I'll look forward to that. But the words come up frequently in lesson 1!  :)

Agree, they are super common and even when I did some basic searching I couldn't really figure out how to use which, so I just moved on (since a Spanish speaker will understand you, even if you use it wrong). Now that I am on Level 2, I peeked ahead and the summary above is pretty helpful to me.  If you already have Level 2 purchased, no reason you couldn't do that one lesson now.

Por vs para

   In addition to lesson 11.6 some simple breakdowns…

  Por is used to talk about movement, modes and means of travel and communication, exchanges, duration, and motivation, among other things.

  Para is used to talk about destinations, recipients, deadlines, and goals
https://quizlet.com/466431338/por-vs-para-flash-cards/

Immediately below two different sources for possible meanings

Por can mean:
for
because of
through
by
over
per
Instead of
to

Para can mean:
for
In order to
by
to
according to
https://blog.busuu.com/por-vs-para/

Por possible meanings:
for
because of
through
by
after
per
instead of
to
due to
around
Para possible meanings:
for
by
in order to
to
towards
according to
https://www.spanish.academy/blog/do-i-use-por-or-para/

Longer explanations and quizzes:

A little more depth
 https://www.italki.com/en/article/312/when-to-use-por-and-para-in-spanish-the-complete-list-of-rules

Easy to understand explaination with quiz at end
https://storylearning.com/learn/spanish/spanish-tips/por-vs-para

Gritty spanish explaination
https://www.grittyspanish.com/2018/11/24/por-vs-para/

Gritty spanish quiz to test your knowlege
https://www.grittyspanish.com/quizzes/blog-quiz-por-vs-para/

Por vs Para: 12 Must-Know Uses & 1 Essential Hack
https://www.realfastspanish.com/vocabulary/por-vs-para

Spanishdict
https://www.spanishdict.com/guide/por-vs-para

In depth with charts duolingo
https://blog.duolingo.com/por-vs-para/

In depth fluentu
https://www.fluentu.com/blog/spanish/por-and-para/

In depth with a little etymology
https://www.spanishobsessed.com/por-vs-para/

Medium length detail
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/spanish/spanish-i/prepositions/para-and-por

Medium with quiz at end
https://www.spanish.academy/blog/do-i-use-por-or-para/

spanish.kwiziq.com/search?=uses+of+por    this will get you where you can do a search of Kwiziq.

I put in  ----  uses of por   ---- and it gives lots of info.      567 results     I was hoping for like ONE

they have each use as a different entry.

¡Hola a todos!

It looks like some good additional resources are being shared here! I just wanted to add that in addition to the lesson in Level 2 (Lesson 11.6: "POR vs. PARA"), we also have a lesson in Level 3 (Lesson 15.6 "POR and PARA Revisited") for anyone who has passed Lesson 11.6 and is looking for a por vs. para review with a different approach and a few additional/more advanced uses.
 

While you're still on Level 1, though, MatthewK66, it may be that all of the ins and outs of por vs. para are a bit too much to be getting into just yet. Scott_C's strategy of rolling with the most general differences between these two words (that por looks backwards, towards the cause, while para looks forwards, towards the effect) until you're ready for the Level 2 lesson may be the way to go, if all of these differences and rules feel overwhelming!

Saludos,

Liss

Thanks all. I have purchased level two, so I think I will to the por/para lesson out of sequence.

Matt