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The prepositions por and para are very common in Spanish and, unfortunately, they are often confused, both translate as 'for' in English. To learn to use por and para correctly, you need to learn the rules and memorize model sentences. The following is an attempt to summarize the main uses of the two.
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Para: Direction toward a destination or goal
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Salgo mañana para La Pampa
Vamos para la playa
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Tomorrow I'm leaving for La Pampa
We are going to the beach
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Para: Purpose, use, goal or destination toward a recipient
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Una taza para café
Compró estos libros para vos*
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A cup for coffee
He bought those books for you
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Para: Comparison against the normal expectation
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Tiene una gran población para un país tan pequeño
Para ser extranjero, habla muy bien el idioma
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It has a large population for such a small country
For a foreigner, he speaks the language
very well
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Para mí, la política es muy aburrido
La vida es hermosa para ella
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To me, politics is ver boring
Life is beautiful for her
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Lo hago para divertirme
Para mejorar, hay que hacer...
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I did it in order to have fun
To improve, one has to...
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Por: Exchange, substitution or rate
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Te doy cinco dólares por el libro
No me tomes por boludo*
Gracias por todo
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I'll give you five dollars for the book
Don't take me for an idiot
Thanks for everything
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Por: Cause, reason, or motive
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Lo merece por su dedicación
Fuimos al mercado por leche
No jugaron fútbol por la lluvia
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He deserves if for his dedication
We went to the store for milk
They didn't play soccer because of the rain
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Por: On behalf of, for the sake of, in favor of
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Lo hice por la plata
Se preocupan por mí
Trabajabo por la paz mundial
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he did it for the money
They worry about me
I work for world peace
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Por: Duration in time (often omitted)
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Estuve en Argentina (por) tres meses
¿(Por) cuánto tiempo te vas a quedar en
Uruguay?
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I was in Argentina for three months
How much time are you going to stay in
Uruguay?
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Por: Movement through/to somewhere
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Estuve paseando por el parque
Vamos por mi departamento*
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I was srtolling through the park
We are going to my apartment
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Fue escrito por ella
Una obra de arte, por Picasso
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It was written by her
A work of art, by Picasso
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Por: Means of transportation or communication
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Ella llegó por avión
Me llamaron por teléfono
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She arrived by plane
They called my on the phone
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Por: Idiomatic expressions
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por adelantado
por ahora
por allí
por amor de Dios
por aquí
por casualidad
por ciento
por cierto
por completo
por dentro
por desgracia
por ejemplo
por eso
por favor
por fin
por lo general
por lo visto
por medio de
por lo menos
por lo tanto
por mi parte
por ningún lado
por otra parte
por primera vez
por separado
por supuesto
por suerte
por todas partes
por todos lados
por último
palabra por palabra
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in advance
for now
around there, that way
for the love of God
around here, this way
by chance
percent
certainly
completely
inside
unfortunately
for example
therefore
please
finally
generally
apparently
by means of
at least
consequently
as for me
nowhere
on the other hand
for the first time
separately
of course
fortunately
everywhere
on all sides
finally
word for word
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