El 12 de
enero
2016
Español V
4
CAPÍTULO
El PRESENTE PERFECTO
ACTIVIDADES
Hoy una actividad especial:
Un día especial con una presentación
de la cultura e historía de España¡
España
Página 155 Actividad 2 y 3
Página 157 Actividad 6
Página 163 Actividad 3
Página 164 Actividad 5
Página 168 Actividad 12
Página 171 Actividad 17
Lección de hoy
1.
2.
3.
4.
viernes
Por y para en repaso
El Presente Perfecto
Los Participios del pasado
Los participios del pasado –
Los irregulars
5. Realidades 3 página 214
Actividad 14.
5. Actividad 33 página 18
Nosotros commands
NOSOTROS commands are more frequently used to suggest that others
do some activity with you rather than to command: let's do something or
let's not do something. We already learned a way to say let's do something
by using VAMOS A + infinitive verb:
¡Vamos a caminar! Let's go to walk!
¡Vamos a comer! Let's go to eat!
¡Vamos a escribir! Let's go to write!
It is important to use exclamation marks to indicate that the construction
VAMOS A + Infinitive is used as a NOSOTROS command. Otherwise, it
can have another meaning (in the present tense and near future):
Nosotros vamos a caminar We go to walk or we will go to walk
Nosotros vamos a comer We go to eat or we will go to eat
Nosotros vamos a escribir We go to write or we will go to write
Now, we will learn how NOSOTROS command is formed by using the
NOSOTROS form of the present subjunctive.
*NOTICE THE COLOR CODE OF THE VERB ENDINGS:
-emos: NOSOTROS command of -AR verbs
-amos: NOSOTROS command of -ER and -IR verbs
COMMAND FORMS OF -AR VERBS
Drop the -ar ending of the infinitive form of the verb, and add -emos"''"
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width: 80%; border-color: #ffffcc; } .table_d2e226 td { border: 1px
solid; border-color: #ffffcc; }
Infinitive verb
tomar (to take/drink)
trabajar (to work)
NOSOTROS command
tomemos
trabajemos
Examples:
Affirmative NOSOTROS
Estudiemos (Let's study)
Caminemos (Let's walk)"''"
Negative NOSOTROS
No estudiemos
No caminemos"''"
/area Type="main"
area Type="area_a" face="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif" size="2"
color="black" style="0" password_protection="basic"
COMMAND FORMS OF -ER AND -IR VERBS
Drop the -er or -ir ending of the infinitive form of the verb, and add -amos"''"
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width: 100%; border-color: #ffffcc; } .table_d2e13 td { border: 1px
solid; border-color: #ffffcc; }
Infinitive verb
comer
leer
escribir
recibir
NOSOTROS co
comamos
leamos
escribamos
recibamos
Examples:
Affirmative NOSOTROS
Comamos las frutas (let's eat the fruits)
Escribamos un poema (let's write a poem)"''"
Negative NOSO
No comamos la
No escribamos
/area Type="area_a"
area Type="area_b" face="Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif" size="2"
color="black" style="0" password_protection="basic"
NOSOTROS COMMAND OF VERBS ENDING IN -CAR, -GAR AND -ZAR
Verbs ending in -car, -gar, and -zar require spelling changes in order to
keep the pronunciation.
-CAR: C changes to QU
-GAR: G changes to GU
-ZAR: Z changes to C
"''"
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width: 70%; border-color: #ffffcc; } .table_d2e31 td { border: 1px
solid; border-color: #ffffcc; }
Infinitive
Tocar (to touch/play)
Buscar (to look for)
Practicar (to practice)
Educar (to educate)
Llegar (to arrive)
Nosotros command
toquemos
busquemos
practiquemos
eduquemos
lleguemos
Jugar (to play)
Navegar (to navigate)
Pagar (to pay)
Comenzar (to start/begin)
Empezar (to start/to begin)
Cruzar (to cross)
Almorzar (to eat lunch)"''"
juguemos
naveguemos
paguemos
comencemos
empecemos
crucemos
almorcemos"''"
/area Type="area_b"
Diego ha sido mi amigo por veinte años.
Diego has been my friend for 20 years.
The present perfect tense is often used with the
adverb "ya".
Ya han comido.
They have already eaten.
La empleada ya ha limpiado la casa.
The maid has already cleaned the house.
The auxiliary verb and the past participle are never separated. To make the
sentence negative, add the word "no" before the conjugated form of haber.
(yo) No he comido.
I have not eaten.
(tú) No has comido.
You have not eaten.
(él) No ha comido.
He has not eaten.
(nosotros) No hemos comido.
We have not eaten.
(vosotros) No habéis comido.
You-all have not eaten.
(ellos) No han comido.
They have not eaten.
Again, the auxiliary verb and the past participle are never separated. Object
pronouns are placed immediately before the auxiliary verb.
Pablo le ha dado mucho dinero a su hermana.
Pablo has given a lot of money to his sister.
To make this sentence negative, the word "no" is placed before the indirect
object pronoun (le).
Pablo no le ha dado mucho dinero a su hermana.
Pablo has not given a lot of money to his sister.
With reflexive verbs, the reflexive
pronoun is placed immediatedly
before the auxiliary verb. Compare
how the present perfect differs from
the simple present, when a reflexive
verb is used.
Me cepillo los dientes. (present)
I brush my teeth.
Me he cepillado los dientes.
(present perfect)
I have brushed my teeth.
To make this sentence negative, the word "no" is placed before the reflexive
pronoun (me).
No me he cepillado los dientes.
I have not brushed my teeth.
For a review of reflexive verbs click [here] and [here].
Questions are formed as follows. Note how the word order is different than the
English equivalent.
¿Han salido ya las mujeres?
Have the women left yet?
¿Has probado el chocolate alguna vez?
Have you ever tried chocolate?
Here are the same sentences in negative form. Notice how the auxiliary verb and
the past participle are not separated.
¿No han salido ya las mujeres?
Haven't the women left yet?
¿No has probado el chocolate ninguna vez?
Haven't you ever tried chocolate?
Present Perfect
The Perfect Tenses
1 Introduction. The perfect tenses [tiempos perfectos] are
compound tenses [tiempos compuestos]; that is, they are
made up of two parts, a helping verb [verbo auxiliar] and a
past participle [participio pasado], for example: he hablado
(I have spoken), habías hablado (you had spoken),
habremos hablado (we will have spoken). There are three
main perfect tenses in the indicative: present perfect, past
perfect, and future perfect. They are “perfect” or “pefective”,
as opposed to “imperfect” or “imperfective”, in the sense that
they portray an action or state as completed and not in
progress, from the point of view of present, past, or future
time, respectively. The perfect tenses in Spanish are formed
with: The helping verb haber, in the appropriate tense and mood,
plus:
The masculine singular form of the past participle.
The present perfect is formed by combining the auxiliary verb "has" or "have"
with the past participle.
I have studied.
He has written a letter to María.
We have been stranded for six days.
Because the present perfect is a compound tense, two verbs are required: the
main verb and the auxiliary verb.
I have studied.
(main verb: studied ; auxiliary verb: have)
He has written a letter to María.
(main verb: written ; auxiliary verb: has)
We have been stranded for six days.
(main verb: been ; auxiliary verb: have)
In Spanish, the present perfect tense is formed by using the present tense of the
auxiliary verb "haber" with the past participle. Haber is conjugated as follows:
he
has
ha
hemos
habéis
han
You have already learned in a previous lesson that the past participle is formed
by dropping the infinitive ending and adding either -ado or -ido. Remember, some
past participles are irregular. The following examples all use the past participle
for the verb "comer."
(yo) He comido.
I have eaten.
(tú) Has comido.
You have eaten.
(él) Ha comido.
He has eaten.
(nosotros) Hemos comido.
We have eaten.
(vosotros) Habéis comido.
You-all have eaten.
(ellos) Han comido.
They have eaten.
For a review of the formation of the past participle [click here].
When you studied the past participle, you practiced using it as an adjective.
When used as an adjective, the past participle changes to agree with the noun it
modifies. However, when used in the perfect tenses, the past participle never
changes.
Past participle used as an adjective:
La cuenta está pagada.
The bill is paid.
Past participle used in the present perfect tense:
He pagado la cuenta.
I have paid the bill.
Here's a couple of more examples:
Past participle used as an adjective:
Las cuentas están pagadas.
The bills are paid.
Past participle used in the present perfect tense:
Juan ha pagado las cuentas.
Juan has paid the bills.
Note that when used to form the present perfect tense, only the base form
(pagado) is used.
Let's look more carefully at the last example:
Juan ha pagado las cuentas.
Juan has paid the bills.
Notice that we use "ha" to agree with "Juan". We do NOT use "han" to agree with
"cuentas." The auxiliary verb is conjugated for the subject of the sentence, not
the object. Compare these two examples:
Juan ha pagado las cuentas.
Juan has paid the bills.
Juan y María han viajado a España.
Juan and Maria have traveled to Spain.
In the first example, we use "ha" because the subject of the sentence is "Juan."
In the second example, we use "han" because the subject of the sentence is
"Juan y María."
The present perfect tense is frequently used for past actions that continue into
the present, or continue to affect the present.
He estado dos semanas en Madrid.
I have been in Madrid for two weeks.
Diego ha sido mi amigo por veinte años.
Diego has been my friend for 20 years.
The present perfect tense is often used with the adverb "ya".
Ya han comido.
They have already eaten.
La empleada ya ha limpiado la casa.
The maid has already cleaned the house.
The auxiliary verb and the past participle are never separated. To make the
sentence negative, add the word "no" before the conjugated form of haber.
(yo) No he comido.
I have not eaten.
(tú) No has comido.
You have not eaten.
(él) No ha comido.
He has not eaten.
(nosotros) No hemos comido.
We have not eaten.
(vosotros) No habéis comido.
You-all have not eaten.
(ellos) No han comido.
They have not eaten.
Again, the auxiliary verb and the past participle are never separated. Object
pronouns are placed immediately before the auxiliary verb.
Pablo le ha dado mucho dinero a su hermana.
Pablo has given a lot of money to his sister.
To make this sentence negative, the word "no" is placed before the indirect
object pronoun (le).
Pablo no le ha dado mucho dinero a su hermana.
Pablo has not given a lot of money to his sister.
With reflexive verbs, the reflexive pronoun is placed immediatedly before the
auxiliary verb. Compare how the present perfect differs from the simple present,
when a reflexive verb is used.
Me cepillo los dientes. (present)
I brush my teeth.
Me he cepillado los dientes. (present perfect)
I have brushed my teeth.
To make this sentence negative, the word "no" is placed before the reflexive
pronoun (me).
No me he cepillado los dientes.
I have not brushed my teeth.
For a review of reflexive verbs click [here] and [here].
Questions are formed as follows. Note how the word order is different than the
English equivalent.
¿Han salido ya las mujeres?
Have the women left yet?
¿Has probado el chocolate alguna vez?
Have you ever tried chocolate?
Here are the same sentences in negative form. Notice how the auxiliary verb and
the past participle are not separated.
¿No han salido ya las mujeres?
Haven't the women left yet?
¿No has probado el chocolate ninguna vez?
Haven't you ever tried chocolate?
Irregular present participoles
Past Participles
The past participle will be important in future lessons covering the perfect tenses.
To form the past participle, simply drop the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, -ir) and add ado (for -ar verbs) or -ido (for -er, -ir verbs).
hablar - ar + ado = hablado
comer - er + ido = comido
vivir - ir + ido = vivido
The following common verbs have
irregular past participles:
abrir (to open) - abierto (open)
cubrir (to cover) - cubierto (covered)
decir (to say) - dicho (said)
escribir (to write) - escrito (written)
freír (to fry) - frito (fried)
hacer (to do) - hecho (done)
morir (to die) - muerto (dead)
poner (to put) - puesto (put)
resolver (to resolve) - resuelto (resolved)
romper (to break) - roto (broken)
ver (to see) - visto (seen)
volver (to return) - vuelto (returned)
Note that compound verbs based on the irregular
verbs inherit the same irregularities. Here are a few
examples:
componer - compuesto
describir – descrito
devolver - devuelto
Most past participles can be used as
adjectives. Like other adjectives, they
agree in gender and number with the
nouns that they modify.
La puerta está cerrada.
The door is closed.
Las puertas están cerradas.
The doors are closed.
El restaurante está abierto.
The restaurant is open.
Los restaurantes están abiertos.
The restaurants are open.
The past participle can be combined
with the verb "ser" to express the
passive voice. Use this construction
when an action is being described,
and introduce the doer of the action
with the word "por."
La casa fue construida por los
carpinteros.
The house was built by the
carpenters.
La tienda es abierta todos los días
por el dueño.
The store is opened every day by the
owner.
Note that for -er and -ir verbs, if the stem ends in a vowel, a written accent will be
required.
creer - creído
oír - oído
Note: this rule does not apply, and no written accent is required for verbs ending
in -uir. (construir, seguir, influir, distinguir, etc.)
Let's add two more flashcards for the past participles, since they will later be
used for the perfect tenses:
Verb Flashcards
Complete List
Past Participle
Infinitive - ending + ado/ido
(hablado, comido, vivido)
Past Participle Irregulars
abrir (to open) - abierto (open)
cubrir (to cover) - cubierto (covered)
decir (to say) - dicho (said)
escribir (to write) - escrito (written)
freír (to fry) - frito (fried)
hacer (to do) - hecho (done)
morir (to die) - muerto (dead)
poner (to put) - puesto (put)
resolver (to resolve) - resuelto (resolved)
romper (to break) - roto (broken)
ver (to see) - visto (seen)
volver (to return) - vuelto (returned)
Using the Present
Perfect Tense
The Present Perfect Tense is used to refer to events that
happened in the past. Its use in Spanish can be tricky,
however, because its usage varies with region and it
sometimes is used in slightly different ways than it is in
English.
In Spanish, the present perfect tense is formed by the present
tense of haber followed by the past participle. (In English it's
the present tense of "to have" followed by the past participle.)
Here then are the forms in which the present perfect would
be stated. Pronouns are included here for clarity but generally
aren't necessary:
•
yo he + past participle (I have ...)
•
tú has + past participle (you have ...)
•
usted/él/ella ha + past participle (you have, he/she has
...)
•
nosotros/nosotras hemos + past participle (we have ...)
•
vosotros/vosotras habéis + past participle (you have ...)
•
ustedes/ellos/ellas han + past participle
•
(you have, they have ...)
El PLUSCUAMPERFECTO
The Past Perfect in Spanish
The past perfect is formed by
combining the auxiliary verb "had"
with the past participle.
I had studied.
He had written a letter to María.
We had been stranded for six days.
Because the past perfect is a compound tense, two verbs
are required: the main verb and the auxiliary verb.
I had studied.
(main verb: studied ; auxiliary verb: had)
He had written a letter to María.
(main verb: written ; auxiliary verb: had)
We had been stranded for six days.
(main verb: been ; auxiliary verb: had)
In Spanish, the past perfect tense is formed by using the
imperfect tense of the auxiliary verb "haber" with the past
participle. Haber is conjugated as follows:
HABER
había
habías
había
habíamos
habíais
habían
You have already learned in a previous lesson that the past
participle is formed by dropping the infinitive ending and
adding either -ado or -ido. Remember, some past participles
are irregular. The following examples all use the past
participle for the verb "vivir."
(yo) Había vivido.
I had lived.
(tú) Habías vivido.
You had lived.
(él) Había vivido.
He had lived.
(nosotros) Habíamos vivido.
We had lived.
(vosotros) Habíais vivido.
You-all had lived.
(ellos) Habían vivido.
They had lived.
.
When you studied the past participle, you practiced using it
as an adjective. When used as an adjective, the past
participle changes to agree with the noun it modifies.
However, when used in the perfect tenses, the past
participle never changes.
Past participle used as an adjective:
La puerta está cerrada.
The door is closed.
Past participle used in the past perfect tense:
Yo había cerrado la puerta.
I had closed the door.
Here's a couple of more examples:
Past participle used as an adjective:
Las puertas están abiertas..
The doors are open.
Past participle used in the past perfect tense:
Juan había abierto las puertas.
Juan had opened the doors.
Note that when used to form the perfect tenses, only the
base form (abierto) is used.
The last example:
Juan había abierto las puertas.
Juan had opened the doors.
Notice that we use "había" to agree with "Juan". We do NOT
use "habían" to agree with "puertas." The auxiliary verb is
conjugated for the subject of the sentence, not the object.
Compare these two examples:
Juan había abierto las puertas.
Juan had opened the doors.
Juan y María habían puesto mucho dinero en el banco.
Juan and Maria had put a lot of money in the bank.
In the first example, we use "había" because the subject of
the sentence is "Juan." In the second example, we use
"habían" because the subject of the sentence is "Juan y
María."
The past perfect tense is used when a past action was
completed prior to another past action. Expressions such as
"ya", "antes", "nunca", "todavía" and "después" will often
appear in sentences where one action was completed before
another.
Cuando llegaron los padres, los niños ya habían
comido.
When the parents arrived, the children had already eaten.
Yo había comido antes de llamarles.
I had eaten prior to calling them.
This idea of a past action being completed before another
past action need not always be stated; it can be implied.
Juan había cerrado la ventana antes de salir. (stated)
Juan had closed the window before leaving.
Juan había cerrado la ventana. (implied)
Juan had closed the window.
The auxiliary verb and the past participle are never
separated.
To make the sentence negative, add the word "no" before
the conjugated form of haber.
(yo) No había vivido.
I had not lived.
(tú) No habías vivido.
You had not lived.
(él) No había vivido.
He had not lived.
(nosotros) No habíamos vivido.
We had not lived.
(vosotros) No habíais vivido.
You-all had not lived.
(ellos) No habían vivido.
They had not lived.
Again, the auxiliary verb and the past participle are never
separated. Object pronouns are placed immediately before
the auxiliary verb.
Pablo le había dado mucho dinero a su hermana.
Pablo had given a lot of money to his sister.
To make this sentence negative, the word "no" is placed
before the indirect object pronoun (le).
Pablo no le había dado mucho dinero a su hermana.
Pablo had not given a lot of money to his sister.
With reflexive verbs, the reflexive pronoun is placed
immediatedly before the auxiliary verb. Compare how the
present perfect differs from the simple present, when a
reflexive verb is used.
Me lavo las manos. (present)
I wash my hands.
Me había lavado las manos. (past perfect)
I had washed my hands.
To make this sentence negative, the word "no" is placed
before the reflexive pronoun (me).
No me había lavado las manos.
I had not washed my hands.
For a review of reflexive verbs click [here] and [here].
Questions are formed as follows. Note how the word order is
different than the English equivalent.
¿Habían llegado ya las chicas?
Had the girls arrived yet?
¿Habías probado ya el postre?
Had you tried the dessert yet?
Here are the same questions in negative form. Notice how
the auxiliary verb and the past participle are not separated.
¿No habían llegado ya las chicas?
Hadn't the girls arrived yet?
¿No habías probado ya el postre?
Hadn't you tried the dessert yet?
MORE ON THE:
El PLUSCUAMPERFECTO
We use the pretérito pluscuamperfecto (past
perfect) to describe actions that took place
before a certain point in the past.
We always use the past perfect when we are
telling a story (in the simple past) and then want
to look back at something that happened earlier.
En una competición de
talentos, Luisa tocó una pieza
de música muy complicada
con su flauta.
Había practicado mucho para
presentar esta pieza tan
perfectamente.
Usage
action before a certain point in the pastExample:
Había practicado mucho para
presentar esta pieza tan perfectamente.
Construction
We need the past forms (pretérito imperfecto) of
the helping verb haber, and the perfect participle
(participio pasado).
person
yo
tú
él/ella/usted
nosotros/-as
vosotros/-as
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Perfect participle
haber
había
habías
había
habíamos
habíais
habían
perfect participle
hablado
aprendido
vivido
We construct the perfect participle by removing the infinitive
ending, and then adding the ending ado to ar-verbs and the
ending ido to er/ir-verbs.
Example:
hablar – hablado
aprender – aprendido
vivir – vivido
Exceptions in the perfect participle
• If there is a vowel before the ido-ending, we have to add an
accent on the i of the ending. This shows us that each
vowel is pronounced separately (not a
diphthong).
Example:
leer – leído
traer – traído
• Some verbs have an irregular and/or regular participle
form. These can be found in the following list:
verb
abrir
decir
escribir
perfect participle
irregular
abierto
dicho
escrito
translation
regular
open
say
write
hacer
freír
imprimir
morir
poner
proveer
suscribir
ver
volver
hecho
frito
impreso
muerto
puesto
provisto
suscrito/suscripto
visto
vuelto
freído
imprimido
proveído
do/make
fry
print
die
place/set
provide
sign/subscribe
see
return
cooking project below……
COOKING PROJECT
BELOW!!!
La Presentacíon de la comida
El Día de Presentar y Comer
Cooking and Culture
Project
Il Proyecto Grande
Chef of the Future¡▶ 10:51
PROJECT INFORMATION I
THE RESEARCH
La Comida
1. Select a Food of a particular city
and region of Spain or LatinAmerican countrya. Ingredients in Spanish
With drawings or fotos
5 pts.
b. LA RECETA recipe 5 pts.
with FOTOS/PICTURES
c. WHEN DO PEOPLE EAT
THIS? DESCRIBE IN
DETAIL
5 pts
Presentation in Spanish
20pts.
Al traer la comida/dessert
20
55 puntos
Presenaciones : el 18 de diciembre
2015
La presentación
II THE CITY (AND REGION)
MAKE A MAP OF Spain and region
or make a Map of your selected
country from Latina America
(no print outs) 5 pts
A. FIVE MAJOR places of
interest describe
With fotos and
explanation
25pts
B. CELEBRATIONSDescribe at least ONE
major cultural festival
in your city fotos and a
description (escrito)
10 pts
C. MUSIC, DANCE,
Art : 5 pts
45 puntos para este
parte
La presentación de la culture
(ciudad)
es el 18 de diciembre
LA COMIDA- il 22 de diciembre
1015
Realidades 3
CAPíTULO 4
Search Results
m
Friends
Tarjetas para amigos
El subjuntivo con verbos de emoción
The form for the Subjunctive and Emotion is the
required 3-part formula.
We can express opinions about things that we observe or
consider fact.
For example, if we know that Juan sings well, we say "Juan
canta bien." We can even say we believe that Juan sings
well, "creemos que Juan canta bien."
But when we want to express how we FEEL
about Juan's singing, we need to use the
Subjunctive.
For example, to say we are pleased that Juan sings well,
we say:
Nos gusta que Juan cante bien.
"Cante" is the 3rd person subjunctive form of Cantar.
It seems funny to have to use the Subjunctive with
something that seems factual; but really what is being
expressed is your personal reaction.
The focus isn't on any statement of fact - rather on your
value judgement of an event or situation. Since your
emotional response is subjective, we need to use the
Subjunctive.
I am happy that you are
going to Spain!
I'm sorry that he has to
study tonight.
He is afraid that she
wants to break up with
him.
We hope the professor
won't give many exams.
Emotions
¡Me alegro de que tú vayas
a España!
Siento que él tenga que
estudiar esta noche.
Tiene miedo que ella
quiera romper con él.
Esperamos que la
profesora no dé muchos
exámenes.
Being annoyed, angry, happy, regretful, sad, scared, or surprised all fall
into this category. Any personal reaction to a situation is emotional. The
focus is not on a factual observation of a situation but how it makes the
subject feel. Since how a person feels is always subjective, you use the
subjunctive.
2 Me alegro de que sonrías. (It makes me happy that you smile.)
3 ¿Les molesta que él escuche la música fuerte? (Does it bother
you that he listens to loud music?)
4 Siento mucho que no puedan venir a la fiesta. (I’m sorry that
they can’t come to the party.)
Useful Verbs of Emotion
alegrarse
de *
encantar
enojar
estar
to be glad
to be
delighted
to be
angry
gustar
to like
quejarse
to compla
lamentar
to regret
sentir
to feel
maravillar
to astonish
sorprender
to surprise
to annoy
temer
to fear
to be glad, molestar
contento,
angry, sad,
enojado,
etc.
triste, etc.
tener
miedo
de/a que
to be
extrañarse
to be
afraid that
que
amazed that
*This verb occasionally carries the subjunctive in its subordinate
clause (more frequently in America than in Spain).
When this occurs the focus changes slightly from that of
affectation to that of assertion (i.e. the use of the indicative reveals the
speakers intention to highlight the informational content of the
subordinate).
"Por" and "Para"
"Por" and "para" have a variety of meanings, and they are often confused
because they can each be translated as "for."
Gracias por la información.
Thanks for the information.
Este regalo es para Juan.
This gift is for Juan.
To learn to use "por" and "para" correctly, you need to do two things:
• Learn the rules for how por and para are used.
• Memorize model sentences.
"Por" has many uses, and so it is the more problematic of the two.
Rule: to express gratitude or apology
Model: Gracias por la ayuda.
(Thanks for the help.)
Rule: for multiplication and division
Model: Dos por dos son cuatro.
(Two times two equals four.)
Rule: for velocity, frequency and proportion
Model: Voy al restaurante cinco veces por semana.
(I go to the restaurant five times per week.)
Rule: meaning "through," "along," "by" or "in the area of"
Model: Andamos por el parque.
(We walk through the park.)
Rule: when talking about exchange, including sales
Model: Él me dio diez dólares por el libro.
(He gave me ten dollars for the book.)
Rule: to mean "on behalf of," or "in favor of,"
Model: No voté por nadie.
(I didn't vote for anyone.)
Rule: to express a length of time
Model: Yo estudié por dos horas.
(I studied for two hours.)
Rule: to express an undetermined, or general time, meaning "during"
Model: Se puede ver las estrellas por la noche
.
(One can see the stars during the night.)
Rule: for means of communication or transportation
Model: Prefiero viajar por tren y hablar por teléfono.
(I prefer to travel by train and speak by phone.)
Rule: in cases of mistaken identity, or meaning "to be seen as"
Model: Me tienen por loco.
(They take me for crazy.)
Rule: to show the reason for an errand (with ir, venir, pasar, mandar, volver, and
preguntar)
Model: Paso por ti a las ocho.
(I'll come by for you at eight o'clock.)
Rule: when followed by an infinitive, to express an action that remains to be
completed, use por + infinitive
Model: La cena está por cocinar.
(Dinner has yet to be cooked.)
Rule: to express cause or reason
Model: El hombre murió por falta de agua.
The man died for lack of water.
Rule: "estar por" means to
be in the mood, or inclined
to do something
Model: Estoy por tomar café.
(I'm in the mood for drinking coffee.)
Rule: in passive constructions
Model: El libro fue escrito por Octavio Paz.
(The book was written by Octavio Paz.)
"Por" also appears in many
idiomatic expressions:
por adelantado
in advance
por ahora
for now
por allí
around there; that way
por amor de Dios
for the love of God
por aquí
around here; this way
por casualidad
by chance
por ciento
percent
por cierto
certainly
por completo
completely
por dentro
inside
por desgracia
unfortunately
por ejemplo
for example
por eso
therefore
por favor
please
por fin
finally
por lo general
generally
por lo visto
apparently
por medio de
by means of
por lo menos
at least
por lo tanto
consequently
por mi parte
as for me
por ningún lado
nowhere
por otra parte
on the other hand
palabra por palabra
word for word
por primera vez
for the first time
por separado
separately
por supuesto
of course
por suerte
fortunately
por todas partes
everywhere
por todos lados
on all sides
por último
finally
"Para" -- in contrast, has
relatively fewer uses.
Rule: to indicate destination
Model: El hombre salió para Madrid.
(The man left for Madrid.)
Rule: to show the use or purpose of a thing
Model: El vaso es para agua.
(The glass is for water.)
Rule: to mean "in order to" or "for the purpose of"
Model: Para hacer una paella, primero dore las carnes.
To make a paella, first sauté the meats.
Rule: to indicate a recipient
Model: Este regalo es para ti.
(This gift is for you.)
Rule: to express a deadline or specific time
Model: Necesito el vestido para el lunes.
(I need the dress by Monday.)
Rule: to express a contrast from what is expected
Model: Para un niño lee muy bien.
(For a child, he reads very well.)
Rule: "estar para" to express an action that will soon be completed
Model: El tren está para salir.
(The train is about to leave.)
WARNING¡ WARNING ¡ WARNING¡
¡CUIDADO!
¡CUIDADO!
¡CUIDADO!
¡CUIDADO!
"Por" and "Para"
"Por" and "para" have a variety of
meanings, and they are often confused
because they can each be translated as
"for."
Gracias por la información.
Thanks for the information.
Este regalo es para Juan.
This gift is for Juan.
To learn to use "por" and "para" correctly,
you need to do two things:
Learn the rules for how por and para are
used.
Memorize model sentences.
"Por" has many uses, and so it is the more problematic of the two.
Rule: to express gratitude or apology
Model: Gracias por la ayuda.
(Thanks for the help.)
Rule: for multiplication and division
Model: Dos por dos son cuatro.
(Two times two equals four.)
Rule: for velocity, frequency and proportion
Model: Voy al restaurante cinco veces por semana.
(I go to the restaurant five times per week.)
Rule: meaning "through," "along," "by" or "in the area of"
Model: Andamos por el parque.
(We walk through the park.)
Rule: when talking about exchange, including sales
Model: Él me dio diez dólares por el libro.
(He gave me ten dollars for the book.)
Rule: to mean "on behalf of," or "in favor of,"
Model: No voté por nadie.
(I didn't vote for anyone.)
Rule: to express a length of time
Model: Yo estudié por dos horas.
(I studied for two hours.)
Rule: to express an undetermined, or general time, meaning "during"
Model: Se puede ver las estrellas por la noche.
(One can see the stars during the night.)
Rule: for means of communication or transportation
Model: Prefiero viajar por tren y hablar por teléfono.
(I prefer to travel by train and speak by phone.)
Rule: in cases of mistaken identity, or meaning "to be seen as"
Model: Me tienen por loco.
(They take me for crazy.)
Rule: to show the reason for an errand (with ir, venir, pasar, mandar, volver, and
preguntar)
Model: Paso por ti a las ocho.
(I'll come by for you at eight o'clock.)
Rule: when followed by an infinitive, to express an action that remains to be
completed, use por + infinitive
Model: La cena está por cocinar.
(Dinner has yet to be cooked.)
Rule: to express cause or reason
Model: El hombre murió por falta de agua.
The man died for lack of water.
Rule: "estar por" means to be in the mood, or inclined to do something
Model: Estoy por tomar café.
(I'm in the mood for drinking coffee.)
Rule: in passive constructions
Model: El libro fue escrito por Octavio Paz.
(The book was written by Octavio Paz.)
"Por" also appears in many idiomatic
expressions:
por adelantado
in advance
por ahora
for now
por allí
around there; that way
por amor de Dios
for the love of God
por aquí
around here; this way
por casualidad
by chance
por ciento
percent
por cierto
certainly
por completo
completely
por dentro
inside
por desgracia
unfortunately
por ejemplo
for example
por eso
therefore
por favor
please
por fin
finally
por lo general
generally
por lo visto
apparently
por medio de
by means of
por lo menos
at least
por lo tanto
consequently
por mi parte
as for me
por ningú
n lado
nowhere
por otra parte
on the other hand
palabra por palabra
word for word
por primera vez
for the first time
por separado
separately
por supuesto
of course
por suerte
fortunately
por todas partes
everywhere
por todos lados
on all sides
por último
finally
"Para" -- in contrast, has relatively
fewer uses.
Rule: to indicate destination
Model: El hombre salió para Madrid.
(The man left for Madrid.)
Rule: to show the use or purpose of a thing
Model: El vaso es para agua.
(The glass is for water.)
Rule: to mean "in order to" or "for the purpose of"
Model: Para hacer una paella, primero dore las carnes.
To make a paella, first sauté the meats.
Rule: to indicate a recipient
Model: Este regalo es para ti.
(This gift is for you.)
Rule: to express a deadline or specific time
Model: Necesito el vestido para el lunes.
(I need the dress by Monday.)
Rule: to express a contrast from what is expected
Model: Para un niño lee muy bien.
(For a child, he reads very well.)
Rule: "estar para" to express an action that will soon be completed
Model: El tren está para salir.
(The train is about to leave.)
It is quite important to learn to use
these two prepositions correctly,
because if you inadvertently
substitute one for the other, you
might end up saying something
altogether different from what you
had intended. Study the two
examples:
Juan compró el regalo para María.
Juan bought the gift for Maria.
(he bought it to give to her)
Juan compró el regalo por María.
Juan bought the gift for Maria.
(he bought it because she could not)
"Por" and "para" can also be used in questions. "¿Por qué?" means "Why?" (for
what reason) while "¿Para qué?" means "Why?" (for what purpose).
¿Por qué estudias español?
For what reason do you study Spanish?
Possible answer:
Porque es un requisito.
Because it's required.
¿Para qué estudias español?
For what purpose do you study Spanish?
Possible answer:
Para ser profesor de español.
In order to become a Spanish teacher.
It is quite important to learn to use these
two prepositions correctly, because if
you inadvertently substitute one for the
other, you might end up saying
something altogether different from what
you had intended. Study the two examples:
Juan compró el regalo para María.
Juan bought the gift for Maria.
(he bought it to give to her)
Juan compró el regalo por María.
Juan bought the gift for Maria.
(he bought it because she could not)
"Por" and "para" can also be used in questions. "¿Por qué?" means "Why?" (for
what reason) while "¿Para qué?" means "Why?" (for what purpose).
¿Por qué estudias español?
For what reason do you study Spanish?
Possible answer:
Porque es un requisito.
Because it's required.
¿Para qué estudias español?
For what purpose do you study Spanish?
Possible answer:
Para ser profesor de español.
In order to become a Spanish teacher.