Prepositions “para” and '”por” in Portuguese

For English native speakers who learn Portuguese, the following examples will demonstrate when to use “para” and “por”.

Most of the time ’por’ and ‘para’ translate to the word ‘for’ in English.

‘Para’ expresses a final goal, destination or purpose, in other words what was done.

‘Por’ conveys a motion or an exchange, in other words who did something.

This overview will help you learn about the differences:

“para”	“por”
intention, goal, purpose or motive 💬 e.g. 🇵🇹 Chamo para ouvir a tua voz. 🇬🇧 I'm calling to hear your voice. location & direction 💬 e.g. 🇵🇹 Eu vou para Lisboa. 🇬🇧 I fly to Lisbon. verbs of movement ir para – to go/drive to reference to the future para sempre – forever	cause & reason 🇵🇹 Isabel desistiu da sua carreira por amor. 🇬🇧 Isabel gave up her career for love. duration of a temporary relationship por um ano – for one year the perpetrator of an action in the passive 🇵🇹 Este erro foi feito pelo chefe. 🇬🇧 This mistake was made by the boss.

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Pronouns

Prepositions: para/por

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