Por: Through a

In English, we say "through a". In Spanish, we use por plus an article. Usually, this is un or una. These are the indefinite articles. They mean "a" or "an". So, por un means "through a" (masculine). por una means "through a" (feminine). The word por stays the same. It does not care about gender. Only the article changes. It is like a bridge. One side is your action. The other side is the place. You are passing from one point to another. You are inside the space for a moment. Then you come out the other side. This is the essence of por.

1. 1Creating these sentences is very simple. Follow these three steps:
2. 2Start with a verb of movement or perception. Examples: caminar (to walk) or mirar (to look).
3. 3Add the preposition por.
4. 4Add the indefinite article un or una based on the noun.
5. 5Example: Camino (I walk) + por (through) + un (a) + parque (park).
6. 6Result: Camino por un parque.
7. 7It is like building with LEGO blocks. Each piece fits perfectly. Just remember to match the gender of the noun. Túnel is masculine, so use un. Ventana is feminine, so use una. Easy, right? Even if you forget the gender, people will understand. But getting it right makes you sound like a pro.

Use por when you move through an area. Think of a bird flying through a cloud. Use it when looking through an opening. This could be a window or a hole. Use it when driving through a city. It works for physical objects like doors. It also works for abstract paths. Maybe you are walking through a difficult time? Por works there too.

Real-world scenarios:

• Ordering food: "The waiter comes through a door."
• Asking directions: "Go through a tunnel to find the museum."
• Job interviews: "I saw the ad through a website."

It is all about the transit. If you are passing by or through, por is your best friend. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. Green means go through!

Do not use por for your final destination. If you are going "to" a park, use para or a. Por is only for the middle part. If you say Voy por el parque, you are currently in the park. You are just passing through. If you say Voy al parque, you are heading there now.

Also, do not use it for specific times of day. Well, you can, but it means something else. Por la mañana means "in the morning". It does not mean "through a morning". Stick to physical movement for now. This keeps things clear. Do not overcomplicate your life. Spanish has enough irregular verbs for that!

Many people mix up por and para. This is the classic Spanish struggle. Think of para as an arrow pointing at a target. Think of por as a line crossing a circle.

Another mistake is forgetting the article. You cannot just say Miro por ventana. You must say Miro por una ventana. It sounds naked without the article.

Some learners use a través de. This also means "through". But it is very formal. It sounds like a science textbook. In daily life, just use por. It is shorter and more natural. Native speakers love short words. We are all a little lazy sometimes. Yes, even native speakers mess this up occasionally. Do not stress too much.

Let us compare por with hacia. Hacia means "toward". It shows direction but not the crossing. Por shows the crossing.

Compare it with en. Estoy en un parque means you are stationary. You are just there. Camino por un parque means you are moving. You are covering ground.

Think of en as a dot on a map. Think of por as a highlighter drawing a path. This visual helps most people. If there is no movement or transit, por is likely wrong. Use it when things are happening. Use it when life is in motion.