How and when to use Por, Para and Porque in Spanish

Some beginning (and advanced) students tend to have some trouble about when to use POR, PARA, or PORQUE and it can be one of the most frustrating topics to learn in all of Spanish. In this lesson we are going to review some rules to recognize when to use one or the other.

We use POR when we want to talk about the reason behind something. In this case, you must use a noun after POR.

POR + Noun: “I like Buenos Aires because of the climate.” (I like Buenos Aires because of the weather).

“I eat chicken because of the protein it has.” (I eat chicken because it has protein).

In Spanish you must use PARA when talking about the objective of an action or the objective of an object. In this case you will use the verb in the infinitive. PARA + Infinitive verb: “I save money to travel to another country.” (I save money to travel to another country.) / “The pencil is used to write.” (The pencil is used for writing).

Finally, we use Because when you talk about the reason for something, but instead of just using the infinitive of the verb, we use the conjugation of the verb.

BECAUSE + Conjugated Verb: “I’m going to buy new clothes because I want to be elegant tonight.”

(I’m going to buy new clothes because I want to be stylish tonight.)

So when someone asks you: “Why are you studying Spanish?”

(Why are you studying Spanish?), You can answer in different ways:

For my work. (For my work.)

For the growth of the Latin market. (Due to the growth of the Latin market).

To be able to communicate with people who speak Spanish. (To be able to communicate with people who speak Spanish).

To travel around South America. (To travel through South America).

Because I like. (Because I like.)

Because I want to get a better job. (Because I want to find a better job).

This little lesson doesn’t cover every aspect of when to use WHY, FOR, and WHY, but it should give you a good start in understanding some important differences of when to use them. Look out for more lessons on WHY, FOR AND WHY in the future.

I will finish this lesson by mentioning a couple of tools to learn Spanish that you can use to increase your knowledge on this topic. The books Practice makes perfect are among the best for learning Spanish. There are currently about a dozen books in the Practice Makes Perfect series, covering various topics from vocabulary to grammar. Another one that I have recommended to my students is the Learning Spanish Like Crazy audio course, which teaches informal or familiar Spanish, but no jargon.