(e) Porrefers to imprecise locations and times, corresponding sometimes
to English ‘around’:
Está por ahí. It’s around somewhere.
Nunca se le ve por la You never see him around the
universidad. university.
No se hacía por entonces. People did not do it at that time.
For por la tarde ‘in the afternoon’ etc., see 23.1.5.1.
(f) Pordenotes the manner or means by which something is done, ‘by’ or
‘by means of’:
por teléfono/carretera/correo by phone/road/e-mail
electrónico
(g) Porrefers to the exchange of one thing for another:
Lo compré por 500 euros. I bought it for 500 euros.
Cambió su regalo por otro. She changed her present for
another.
(h) Porstates ‘on behalf of’, ‘in favour of’, ‘in support of’:
No lo hagas por mí. Don’t do it just for me.
El está aquí por Andrea. He’s here on behalf of Andrea.
Estoy por los derechos I am in favour of indigenous
indígenas. rights.
(i) Porexpresses a description or designation that is a personal opinion or
evaluation (sometimes English ‘for’ or ‘as’):
Lo tomé por otro. I took him for someone else.
Podrían pasar por hermanas. They could pass for sisters.
(j) Portranslates rate and quantity:
Viene siete veces por semana.He comes seven times a week.
Es más económico It is more economical to buy
comprarlos por kilo. them by the kilo.
(k) Porfollowed by an infinitive indicates what remains to be done:
Me quedan tres páginas por I have three pages left to
fotocopiar. photocopy.
Está todo por discutir. Everything is still open for
discussion.
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Uses of por
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