Using Por for Price and Exchange

The logic is simple: exchange. Whenever there is a "this for that" vibe, por steps in. This applies to cold hard cash, of course. But it also works for bartering or substituting items. If you swap your apple for a pear, use por. If you pay twenty euros for a shirt, use por. It’s the grammar of the marketplace. You aren't just saying a price; you're describing a transaction. It’s like a tiny handshake between two nouns.

1. 1Start with your action verb. Common ones are comprar (to buy) or pagar (to pay).
2. 2Mention the item you are getting or giving.
3. 3Drop in the magic word: por.
4. 4End with the price, currency, or the item being exchanged.
5. 5Example: Pagué (Verb) + diez euros (Price) + por + la entrada (Item). Wait, actually, the order is usually Verb + Item + por + Price. Let's fix that: Pagué + la entrada + por + diez euros. Much better. Even native speakers flip things around sometimes, but por stays the anchor.

Use por when money changes hands. If you’re at a flea market in Madrid, use it to haggle. "¿Me lo da por cinco euros?" you might ask. It’s perfect for digital transactions too. When you subscribe to a service, you pay por month or por year.

It’s also for bartering. Imagine trading a coffee for a favor. Te doy mi café por tu ayuda. Use it for gratitude. When you say gracias por la comida, you are exchanging thanks for the meal. It’s a polite trade. Finally, use it for substitution. If you work a shift for a friend, you work por him. You are the exchange student of the workplace.

Don't use por for the recipient of a gift. If you bought a book for your mom, use para. Mom isn't the price; she's the destination. Don't use it for deadlines either. "For tomorrow" is para mañana.

Also, avoid por when describing the purpose of an object. A glass for water is a vaso para agua. If you say vaso por agua, you’re suggesting you traded a glass to get some water. Which is fine if you're in a desert, but weird at a dinner party.

The biggest trap is using para for prices. Many English speakers think "for" always equals para. It doesn't. Saying Lo compré para cinco dólares sounds like the five dollars are going to read the book you bought.

Another mistake is forgetting por entirely. Pagué cinco dólares la pizza works in some dialects, but por is the gold standard for clarity. Lastly, don't confuse por with cada (each). If things are five dollars each, you say cinco dólares cada uno, not por uno usually, though por unidad works in formal settings.

Compare por with para carefully. Por looks backward at the cause or the exchange. Para looks forward at the goal or the recipient.

Think of it like a traffic light. Por is the green light that lets the exchange happen. Para is the destination sign at the end of the road. Also, compare it with en. In some countries, you might hear lo vendí en cien pesos. While en is used locally, por is understood everywhere. It’s the universal currency of Spanish grammar.