PURPOSE	for - in order to	Necesita una mesa para estudiar. He needs the table to study. Es un buen libro para leer. It is a good book to read. Quiero el dinero para ir al cine. I want the money to go to the movies. Fui a la tienda para comprar pan. I went to the store to buy bread.
DESTINATION in space	toward - for	Salimos para Europa. We left for Europe. Ven para acá. Come over here.
DESTINATION in time, deadline	by	La composición es para el lunes. The composition is due on Monday.
INTENDED RECIPIENT	for	Hice la comida para ti. I cooked the meal for you. Escribí el resumen para la profesora de español. I wrote the summary for the Spanish professor.
EMPLOYMENT	for	Juan trabaja para su hermano. Juan works for his brother. Daniel trabaja para Nieto y Cia. Daniel works for Nieto & Co.
COMPARISON With the norm	for - considering	Para buenas películas no hay como este canal. For good movies, there’s no channel like this one. Para ser un extranjero, habla muy bien. For (Considering he is) a foreigner, he speaks very well.

REASON	why	¿Por qué quieres ir a Argentina? Why do want to go to Argentina?
AGENT	by	Los exámenes son corregindos por los profesores. The tests are corrected by professors. El presidente es elegido por los votantes. The President is chosen by voters.
RATE	by - per	En este trabajo pagan por hora. In this job, they pay by the hour. El límite es sesenta y cinco kilómetros por hora. The speed limit is fifty miles an hour.
EXCHANGE	for	Mi hermano pagó cinco mil dólares por el caballo. My brother paid five thousand dolars for the horse.
GENENERAL LOCATION	around	La clase es por aquí. The class is around here. Ellos trabajan por aquí. They are working around here.
ROUTE OR PASSAGE In space	By way of - through - along, etc.	Yo siempre voy a Mendoza por Chile. I always go to Mendoza by way of (thgough, via) Chile. Anduvimos por la playa toda la tarde. We walked along the beach the whole afternoon.
APPROXIMATE TIME Passage of time	For - in	Patricio trabajó aquí por varios (durante) meses. He worked here for several months. Nos visita por la tarde. She visits us in the afternoon.
CHOICE In favor of	For	El pueblo votó por el candidato republicano. The people voted for the Republican candidate.
CAUSE	Because of	Hago esto por mi hermano, no por mí. I do this because of my brother, not me.
MOTIVE	For - for the sake of	Diviértanse por mí. Enjoy for me. Háganlo por sus padres. Do it for your parents. Do it for your parents sake.
SUBSTITUTION	For - in place of	Ayer Andrés trabajó por su hermano. Andrés worked for (in place of) his brother yesterday.

Compare the following sentences with por and para:

Este regalo es para tu hermano, no para ti. This present is for your brother, not for you.	Se lo doy por respeto a la familia, no por amor a ti. I'm giving it to him out of respect for the family, not out of liking for him.
Mañana nos vamos para el norte. Tomorrow we're heading north.	No vamos por el sur sino por el norte. We aren't going through the southern part, we're going through the north.
¿Para qué sirve este aparato? What is this device good for?	¿Por qué compraste este aparato? Why did you buy this gadget?
Juan: ¿para qué me llamas? Why (to what end) do you call me? Ana: para que me ayudes. So you can (in order to) help me.	Pedro: ¿por qué me llamas? Why (for what reason) do you call me? María: Porque llegó una carta para ti. Because (the reason is) there's a letter for you.
Todos sus hijos estudian para abogado. All his children are studying to be lawyers.	Algunos van a la universidad sólo por divertirse. Some go to the university just to have a good time.
Algunos estudian para no tener que trabajar. Some study so they won't have to work	Por no trabajar, unos visten mal y a veces no comen. Because they don't work, some dress badly and at times don't eat.
He trabajado incansablemente para descubrir la verdad. I've worked tirelessly in order to discover the truth.	He trabajado incansablemente por descubrir la verdad. I've worked tirelessly because I wanted to discover the truth.

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