Download
1 / 107
E N D
This presentation explains the many different uses of the Spanish prepositions por and para. You will see that each use, or “sense,” is an extension of one common, or core use, which we will call the “primary meaning.” As we present each new use, we will also show you how it fits with the other uses, thereby building up a whole network of uses for each preposition. Many uses are based on conceptual metaphors. Though this kind of analysis might be new to you, in actuality metaphors are used all the time in human language! Try to suspend your disbelief and process the information as best you can. As you go through the presentation you will also be completing an activity to help you process the information.
Por Primary Meaning: The primary meaning of por is ‘path through a container.’ More often than not, this container is metaphorical. What is considered to be the container of the action can be space, time, or even a person’s interest. What is key in this sense is the path, or the method in which an action is accomplished.
Primary Meaning: Path through a container The player is following an imagined path through the field to get to the goal. She is moving toward something within a container. La futbolista corre por el campo hasta la portería. Por marks the path The field is thought of as the container (The soccer player runs through the field toward the goal.)
Here is the primary meaning of por, shown in a basic, graphic form. path container “through”
Example 2 -Path through a container En caso de incendio, debe salir por la ventana. The window is thought of as the container Por marks the path (In case of fire, you should exit through the window.)
Example 3 - Path through a container El gato mira por la ventana. Again, the window is thought of as the container Por marks the path of the cat’s gaze (The cat looks through the window.)
More examples - Path through a container • caminar por el parque • (walkthroughthepark) • pasar por la aduana • (passthroughcustoms) • pasear por el centro comercial • (strollthroughthemall) • volar por el aire • (flythroughthe air)
¡Te toca! • Create your own example sentence to illustrate the primary use of por, which is to mean “path through a container.”
Alongside Sense Las personas caminan por la playa. The beach = the container, with a natural edge Por marks the path (The people walk along the beach.)
The “alongside” sense of por comes directly from the Primary Meaning. We still have the container… and we still have the path. However, this time the path is on the edge of the container, instead of somewhere in the middle. The container has an edge on which something could move along.
Example 2 - Alongside La mujer anda por la calle. The street is thought of as the container, with an edge along which to walk. Por marks the path (The woman walks along the street.)
Example 3 - Alongside Los oseznos juegan por la orilla del río. The river bank is thought of as the container, with an edge along which to play Por marks the path (The bear cubs play along the river bank.)
¡Te toca! • Create your own example sentence to illustrate the alongside sense of por.
La futbolistacorre por el campo hasta la portería. Las personas caminan por la playa. Alongside The Primary Meaning: Path through a container We are building a meaning network. We will see how all of the meanings of por are somehow connected to the Primary Meaning.
Time Elapsed Sense Estudiamospor dos horas. (We studied for 2 hours.)
Por is used when speaking about how long something lasted or how much time it took. Duration of the activity Duration is placed against the container of time.
Consider a timeline that we pass along every day. This connects back to the alongside sense of por. An activity passes along that line for a certain amount of time.
Example 2 - Time elapsed ¡Estuvimos en el cine por 3 horas! Indicates time elapsed. Por marks movement alongside the path of time (We were in the movie theater for 3 hours!)
Example 3 - Time elapsed Hablo con mi madre por 20 minutos todos los días. Indicates time elapsed. Por marks movement alongside the path of time (I talk with my mother for 20 minutes every day.)
¡Te toca! • Create your own example sentence to illustrate the time elapsed sense of por.
La futbolistacorre por el campo hasta la portería. . Estudiamos por dos horas. Las personas caminan por la playa. Alongside Time Elapsed The Primary Meaning: Path through a container
Containment Sense Vagaronpor la casa y encontraron a sus amigos en la cocina. The people did not walk in a straight line through the house, they moved in an indirect path within it. (They wandered around the house and found their friends in the kitchen.)
The “containment” sense of por also comes directly from the Primary Meaning. Once again, we still have the container… This time the path does not move through the container, but WITHIN the container. …and we still have the path.
But why does the path line curve? Because when the path is kept within the container the path is not deliberate or in a straight line. Containment is similar to the idea of “all around place X,” “somewhere in place X” or “sometime during the period of X”
Example 2 - Containment Russia is the container against which the movement is placed. QuieroviajarporRusiadespués de graduarme. (I want to travel around Russia after I graduate.)
Example 3 - Containment The verb used in the “containment” sense does not have to be a verb of movement. La casa estáporaquí. Once again, there is not straight line of movement, but the verb is still occurring within the container. (The house is around here.)
Example 4 - Containment Hay papelesportoda la oficina. (There are papers all over the office.)
Example 5 - Containment Vivo poracá. (I live around here.)
¡Te toca! • Create your own example sentence to illustrate the containment sense of por.
The container in this sense might also be metaphorical, as in this example, where the container is time. El gatoduermepor el día. The event (sleeping) occurs during a general time frame. (The cat sleeps during the day.)
Example 2 - Temporal containment Creoque la bodaseráporjulio. General time frame (I think that the wedding will be sometime in July.)
Example 3 - Temporal containment Se puedeverlasestrellaspor la noche. (You can see the stars at night)
¡Te toca! • Create your own example sentence to illustrate the temporal containment sense of por.
Closely related to this “ temporal containment” sense of por is a useful phrase, “por ahora.” Tenemosbastante comida por ahora. (We have enough food for now.) Container In this case, the container is now, as the general time frame.
Also closely related to the “containment” sense of por is another useful phrase, “por lo general.” Por lo general, la familia come a lasocho. (In general, the family eats at eight.) Container In this case, the container is the idea of generality; what generally happens.
La futbolistacorre por el campo hasta la portería. . Estudiamos por dos horas. Las personas caminan por la playa. Alongside Time Elapsed The Primary Meaning: Path through a container Vagaron por la casa y encontraronsus amigos. Temporal Por ahora Por lo general Containment
Inclination Sense Me interesoporlasciencias. Siemprevotopor el mejorcandidato. (I am interested in science.) (I always vote for the best candidate.) In both of these examples the speaker has shown interest, inclination, or endorsement of the focus of the sentence.
The “inclination” sense of por also comes from the “containment” sense. ¡Qué interesante! interest/inclination The person what the person is interested in This is a metaphorical extension of the “containment” sense. The interest (or inclination, or endorsement) of the speaker is contained in the box. The box represents what the person is interested in. The person’s interest is located somewhere in the box, generally, but not on a particular directional path, so the path is drawn wavy here.
It is important to note that only a few verbs will use the preposition “por” in this manner: interesarsepor votarpor optarpor Some verbs will function like gustar and will use the object of interest as the subject of the verb: Me gusta mucho ir a la playa. Me encanta el cine. Other verbs will simply not use a preposition: Aprecio el arte.
Example 2 - Inclination X En vezde visitarme, optaronporir a Hawaii. Desafortunadamente, mis padres optaronpor no visitarmeestesemestre. (Unfortunately, my parents opted not to visit me this semester.) (Instead of visiting me, they opted to go to Hawaii.)
¡Te toca! • Create your own example sentence to illustrate the inclination sense of por.
Closely related to this “inclination” sense of por is a useful phrase, “por supuesto.” ¡Por supuesto puedesvenir a la fiesta! (Of course you can come to the party!) ¡Claro! endorsement The person what the person is endorsing “Supuesto” is in fact a supposition, and since the speaker is interested in this supposition (the idea that her friend will attend the party), she endorses it. “Of course” can also be expressed using other phrases, such as “Claro.”
La futbolistacorre por el campo hasta la portería. Estudiamos por dos horas. Las personas caminan por la playa. Alongside Time Elapsed The Primary Meaning: Path through a container Vagaron por la casa y encontraronsus amigos. Temporal Por ahora Por lo general Containment Siemprevotopor el mejorcandidato. Por supuesto Inclination
