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INSTRUCTOR: Lets do an exercise on the uses of por and para. You may want to
review podcast 9 and 10 before doing this exercise. In this exercise, I will say a phrase in
English and then you will say the same phrase in Spanish. You will have to select which
INSTRUCTOR: Imagine that you are at the lavandera or dry cleaners. And you need a
suit dry-cleaned by the weekend. How do you say? I want this suit ready for the weekend,
please.
Student: Quiero este traje listo para el fin de semana, por favor.
Natalia: Quiero este traje listo para el fin de semana, por favor.
Student: Quiero este traje listo para el fin de semana, por favor.
INSTRUCTOR: And do you know why we use para in this case? We use para when
we want to specify a time limit or deadline in the future. So we use para to indicate when
INSTRUCTOR: Natalia, I noticed that in Colombia they say lavandera in order to say
dry cleaner. And in some Spanish speaking countries, lavandera means Laundromat.
And in some Spanish-speaking countries in order to say dry cleaner they say tintorera
Natalia: Patrick, la palabra lavandera tiene los dos significados: El lugar donde te lavan
las prendas en seco y el lugar con muchas lavadoras, donde la gente lava su ropa. Una
tintorera es un establecimiento donde tien ropa o telas, pero casi siempre es un servicio de
las mismas lavanderas, y eso puede hacer que se confundan los trminos.
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INSTRUCTOR: Now imagine that you did not study Spanish today because you were
sick. How do you say? I didnt study this morning because of being sick.
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INSTRUCTOR: And do you know why we use por in this case? We use por when we
INSTRUCTOR: And how would you say? We are going to the supermarket for milk or
INSTRUCTOR: And how would you say? We are going to Cuba by sea.
INSTRUCTOR: And do you know why we use por in this case instead of para? We
use por when we are talking about a means of transportation or to indicate how someone
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INSTRUCTOR: Now imagine that you are speaking to a friend and you want him to send
INSTRUCTOR: Do you know why we use por instead of para in this case? We use
por when we are talking about the means of sending a message or information.
Natalia: Usamos POR cuando hablamos de formas de enviar mensajes o informacin. Por
INSTRUCTOR: By the way, when referring to sending an email message you may hear
some Spanish speakers use the phrase por correo. Others may say por correo
Natalia: S, en espaol es correcto decir por correo, o por correo electrnico, aunque
INSTRUCTOR: And how would you say to your friend? call me by cellphone.
INSTRUCTOR: Now tell me how would you say we pass through Colombia on the trip
to Argentina.
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INSTRUCTOR: In this case por can be translated into English as by or through.
And we use por instead of para when we are talking about an intermediate destination
before reaching our final destination, then we have to use por. But if we are talking about
Natalia: Usamos por en este caso porque Colombia no es el destino final, es slo un paso
obligado. Diferente sera si con el viaje quisiramos conocer Colombia y Agentina; en este
INSTRUCTOR: And if Colombia is your final destination, how would you say we are
going to Colombia.
INSTRUCTOR: Do you know why we use para in this case? When we are comparing
INSTRUCTOR: And howwould you say Carlos is short for his age.
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INSTRUCTOR: Since we are comparing Carlos to a certain standard, a standard of height
INSTRUCTOR: And would you say? for me, Colombia is a beautiful country..
INSTRUCTOR: Do you know why we use para in this case? When expressing an
INSTRUCTOR: And how would you say? In Joses opinion or For Jose, octupus is a
delicious dish.
INSTRUCTOR: And howwould you say Carolina has a lot of affection for her dog.
INSTRUCTOR: Do you know why we use por in this case? When we want to express
Natalia: Cuando queremos expresar una emocin por alguien o por algo, usamos POR.
woman in Latin America. Carolina or Carolina is not the name of a State in Latin
America.
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INSTRUCTOR: And how would you say Carolina has respect for her friends.
INSTRUCTOR: And would you say in Spanish the phrase for example.
Natalia: Hay muchas expresiones comunes que usan POR. Por ejemplo:
por primera vez, Carlos va a salir del pas por primera vez.
Otras expresiones comunes que usan por son: por supuesto, por ejemplo, por eso y por
favor.,
INSTRUCTOR: You can listen to this lesson as many times as it takes you to master the
material.