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Summary: The Spanish preposition por and its uses
In passive expressions por indicates the agent "by" whom an action is performed; but if the action be a mental one, the preposition used is preferably de:
El muchacho será castigado por su padre. The boy will be punished by his father.
Este niño es amado de sus padres. The child is loved by its parents.
El fuerte fué tomado por el enemigo. The fort was taken by the enemy.
El universo fué creado por Dios. The university was created by God.
España fue conquistada por los Moros.Spain was conquered by the Moors.
Ese actor ha sido bien recibido por el público. That actor has been well received by the public.
Esta obra está escrita por un autor francés. This work is by a French author.
Indicates manner or means:
El dentista me sacó el diente por fuerza. The dentist pulled my tooth out by force.
Como V. los ha visto por sus propios ojos, puede afirmar que existen. As you have seen them with your own eyes, you can declare that they exist.
Por Fulano conseguí el empleo. I obtained the employment through So-and-so.
Conducía por la mano á un niño de cinco años. She was leading a child of five years by the hand.
Indicates the reason or motive for an action:
Por eso no quiero verle. For that reason I do not want to see him.
Éste peleaba por la vida, aquél por la honra. The one was fighting for life, the other for honor.
No fui al baile por falta de ropa. I did not go the ball for want of clothes.
Por miedo de las consecuencias. For fear of consequences.
Le han despedido po una falta leve. They have discharged him for a slight fault.
Lo hace por vanidad. He does it out of vanity.
No fue admitido por ser católico. He was not admitted, because he was a Catholic.
After the verbs "to go", "to send", and the like, it shows the immediate object of the errand:
El muchacho va por leña, por pan. The boy goes for firewood, for bread.
Me mandó por el médico. He sent me for the doctor.
Vino por su sueldo. He came for his wages.
Indicates opinion, estimation or acceptation:
Le tengo por hombre de talento. I take him for a man of talent.
Le dejaron por muerto. They left him for dead.
Le fusilaron por espía. They shot him for a spy.
Fue ahorcado por ladrón. He was hanged for a thief.
Lo dan por cosa extraordinaria. They represent it as a strange thing.
Pasa por docto. He passes for a learned man.
Cuando yo estaba en España, pasaba á menudo por natural del país. When I was in Spain I often passed as a native of the country.
Le ajusté por mozo de cuadra. I engaged him as stable-boy.
La adoptó por hija. He adopted her as daughter.
Lo toma por concedido. He takes it for granted.
Denotes the space of time during which an action takes place or continues:
Me ausento de la ciudad por un mes. I leave the city for a month.
Me ha prestado el libro por ocho días. He lent me the book for a week.
Hemos pleitado por mucho tiempo. We have litigated for a long time.
Eso apaciguó al rey por lo pronto. That appeased the king for the time.
Eso basta por ahora. That is sufficient for now.
Le condenaron á las galeras por el resto de su vida. They confined him to the galleys for the rest of his life.
Denotes the place through or along which motion takes place:
Entró por la puerta, pero yo le hice salir por la ventana. He came in through the door, but I made him go out through the window.
Vagaba por los campos. He was wandering about the fields.
Como andaba por la margen del río. As I walked along the bank of the river.
¿Por qué calle vino V.? Through what street did you come?
Pasé por Filadelfia. I passed through Philadelphia.
He viajado por Méjico. I have travelled through Mexico.
Takes the place of en, in expressing time or place, but is more indefinite:
Temíamos encontrar por aquel paraje algún buque de guerra. We were afraid of meeting some war vessel in that quarter.
Por diciembre del año pasado despachó á su secretario con instrucciones . . . About December of last year he dispatched his secretary with instructions . . .
V. lo encontrará por aquí, sin duda. You will find it around here somewhere, no doubt.
Indicates exchange of one thing for another:
Le he dado mi perro por su escopeta. I have given him my dog for his shotgun.
He cambiado mi pluma por una nueva. I have exchanged my pen for a new one.
Quiere vender su casa por $8.000. He wants to sell his house for $8,000.
Pide $8.000 por su casa He asks $8,000 for his house.
He pagado $9 por este diccionario. I paid $9 for this dictionary.
Le daré á V. $10 por los dos. I will give you $10 for the two.
Offsets one thing against another:
He traducido la frase palabra por palabra. I have translated the phrase word for word.
Me pagó peso por peso. He paid me dollar for dollar.
"Ojo por ojo y diente por diente." "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."
Indicates unit of measure or number:
Por docenas. By the dozen.
Á diez por ciento. At ten per cent.
Por mayor y por menor. By wholesale and retail.
Este vapor marcha quince nudos por hora. This steamer runs fifteen knots an hour.
Gano $1.500 por año. I earn $1,500 per annum.
Has the signification of "in behalf of", "in favor of", "for the sake of":
Habló elocuentemente por su amigo. He spoke eloquently in his friend's behalf.
Lo haré por V. con gusto. I will do it for you with pleasure.
Votamos por Cleveland. We voted for Cleveland.
Yo estoy por derechos protectores, mi hermano está por el libre cambio. I am for protective tariff, my brother is for free trade.
Trabajo por el señor A. I work for Mr. A.
Yo haré la guardía por V. esta noche. I will mount guard for you to-night.
Escribo esta carta por mi hermano. I am writing this letter for my brother (as a favor to him).
¡Una limosna, por Dios!1 señor. An alms for God's sake, Sir!
Appeals to something in the manner of an oath, to strengthen an assertion:
¡Por el cielo que está encima de nosotros! By the heaven above us!
Por mi conciencia no lo comprendo. On my conscience I don't understand it.
¡Por Dios! señor, es verdad lo que le digo. By God! Sir, it is true what I am telling you.
Followed by an infinitive, por indicates what remains to be done, without implying, however, that it will be done:
Quedan seis páginas por copiar. There remain six pages to copy.
El tratado está por ratificar. The treaty is yet to be ratified.
Está por ver. That is to be seen.
La contestación está por recibir. The reply is yet to be received.
Cartas por escribir. Letters to be written.
La mitad de la novela quedaba por leer, cuando . . . Half of the novel remained to be read, when . . .
Sin dejar nada por decir. Without leaving anything unsaid.
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This work is licensed by Max Starkenburg under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 1.0), and is an Open Educational Resource.
Last edited by Max Starkenburg on Dec 11, 2005 1:22 am -0600.
The Spanish prepositions PARA and POR
Differnces between PARA and POR in similar syntax