Lesson 1.6 · Unit 1 · Structures
Two pairs that look alike
Spanish has two pairs of words that English folds into one. Por and para both can mean "for," and ser and estar both mean "to be." A student who memorizes lists of uses for each will still pause on a new sentence. A student who asks the question under each pair, where is this going and what is this like, will not. This lesson reviews both pairs.
- Para points forward. Goal, destination, recipient, deadline, purpose, opinion: Estudio para aprender. Salgo para Lima. Es para ti. Para mañana.
- Por looks back and around. Cause, duration, exchange, route, means, on behalf of: Gracias por la ayuda. Estudié por dos horas. Pagué diez euros por el libro. Pasamos por el parque. Hablamos por teléfono.
- Para with an infinitive means "in order to." Estudio para aprender. Por with an infinitive means "for the sake of," and is rare.
- Ser names what something is. Identity, origin, profession, time, material, possession, characteristics: Soy Ana. Es de Perú. Es médico. Son las tres. Es de madera.
- Ser also places an event. La fiesta es en mi casa. An event takes ser and a thing or a person takes estar.
- Estar says how or where something is. Location, mood, condition, progressive: Estoy en casa. Estamos contentos. La sopa está fría. Estoy leyendo.
- Adjectives that change meaning. Es aburrido (boring) and está aburrido (bored); es listo (clever) and está listo (ready); es malo (bad) and está malo (ill).
- Ask a question first. For por or para: is it going somewhere, or looking at the reason? For ser or estar: am I naming it, or saying how it is now?
Where students lose marks: Using por for a deadline (por mañana), para for a duration (estudié para dos horas), estar for a profession (está médico), and ser for a location of a thing (es en la mesa). Name the idea before you choose the word.
The problem. Write six sentences: (1) I studied for three hours. (2) This gift is for you. (3) We walked through the park. (4) He is a doctor, but today he is sick. (5) The party is at my house at eight. (6) I paid ten euros for the book.
Step one: sentence 1. A span of time is duration, so por: Estudié por tres horas.
Step two: sentence 2. A recipient looks forward: Este regalo es para ti.
Step three: sentence 3. A route through a place is por: Caminamos por el parque.
Step four: sentence 4. A profession is ser and a passing condition is estar: Él es médico, pero hoy está enfermo.
Step five: sentence 5. An event takes ser: La fiesta es en mi casa a las ocho.
Step six: sentence 6. An exchange of money for a thing is por: Pagué diez euros por el libro.
Step seven: ideas. The ideas are duration, recipient, route, identity and condition, event, and exchange.
Step eight: check. Each por or para has a named idea, and each ser or estar answers "what is it?" or "how is it now?"
Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.
- Complete: Gracias ___ tu ayuda.
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Thanks are for a cause. por
- Complete: Este regalo es ___ mi madre.
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A recipient looks forward. para
- Complete: Salimos ___ Madrid mañana.
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A destination takes para. para
- Complete: Mi tía ___ (ser) enfermera, pero hoy ___ (estar) cansada.
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A profession is a name, and tiredness is a condition. es, está
- Complete: La reunión ___ (ser) en el salón.
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An event takes ser even for location. es
- Say "I need the report for Monday, and I will work on it for two hours."
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A deadline is para and a duration is por. Necesito el informe para el lunes y voy a trabajar en él por dos horas.
- Say "I sent it by mail, and I paid twelve euros for the shipping."
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Means is por and an exchange is por. Lo envié por correo y pagué doce euros por el envío.
- Find and fix the errors: Estudié para tres horas. Es para el parque. Mi hermano está médico.
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A duration is por, a route through a place is por, and a profession is ser. Estudié por tres horas. Pasé por el parque. Mi hermano es médico.
- Explain the difference between Ella es aburrida and Ella está aburrida.
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Ser gives a trait: she is a boring person. Estar gives a condition: she is bored right now. Ser gives a trait, and estar gives the present condition.
- Write five sentences about your plans, with two para sentences and one por sentence, and the ser or estar correct in every one.
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One correct answer: Estudio para sacar buenas notas. Este fin de semana salgo para la playa. Voy a trabajar por dos horas el sábado. Estoy contento con mi horario. La fiesta es en casa de mi amigo. Estudio para sacar buenas notas. Este fin de semana salgo para la playa. Voy a trabajar por dos horas el sábado. Estoy contento con mi horario. La fiesta es en casa de mi amigo.