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Study Resource: Summary of the uses of ‘por’ and ‘para’

By: Fabiana Dametto Oliveira
Associated Articles

These activities are part of our Brazilian Portuguese Grammar series. The skills we are practicing here are covered in our article:

The following charts summarize the different uses and translations of por and para in Brazilian Portuguese.

por
Use
English
Example

reason / cause

because; because of

Nós saímos mais cedo por receio de perder o ônibus.

We left earlier because of the fear of missing the bus.

way / route

through; via; along; by

Caminhamos por muitas ruas antes de chegar à sua casa.

We walked through many streets before reaching your house.

Vamos caminhar pela praia?

Let’s walk along the beach?

duration of time

for; during

Caminhamos por uma hora.

We walked for one hour.

approximate time

by; around

Vamos nos encontrar pelas dez horas?

Let’s meet around ten o’clock?

frequency and speed

per; by

Estudo português dois dias por semana.

I study Portuguese two days per week.

O limite de velocidade aqui é de 80 quilômetros por hora.

The speed limit here is 80 kilometers per hour.

dimension, rates, and multiplication

for; by; per; “times”

Preciso tirar uma fotografia cinco por sete (5x7).

I need to take a five by seven photograph (5x7).

O combustível aumentou cinco por cento.

The fuel increased five percent.

Dois por dois é quatro.

Two times two is four.

exchange of something

for

Troquei o vestido azul por um vestido branco.

I exchanged the blue dress for a white dress.

prices and purchases

for

Comprei esses sapatos por cem reais.

I bought these shoes for a hundred reais.

agent in passive sentences

by

O relatório foi feito pelo gerente.

The report was made by the manager.

hold on to something

by

A mãe segurou o filho pelo braço.

The mother held the child by the arm.

means of communication

by; via

A empresa me enviou a oferta por email.

The company sent me the offer by email.

Ele fez a pesquisa pelo computador.

He did the research via computer.

para
Use
English
Example

purpose

to; in order to

Ele faz dieta para emagrecer.

He is on a diet in order to lose weight.

direction / final destination

to; towards

Eu vou para a praia amanhã.

I’m going to the beach tomorrow.

deadlines / hours

due; for; to

A apresentação é para a próxima semana.

The presentation is for next week.

São dez para às três.

It’s ten to three.

designation

for; at

Eu comprei esse chocolate para você.

I bought this chocolate for you.

the use of something

for

O fogão serve para cozinhar.

The stove is for cooking.

opinions

to; for; according to

Para mim, esse restaurante é excelente.

According to me, this restaurant is excellent.

employer

for

Ela trabalha para uma grande empresa

She works for a big company.

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