logo
  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class

855-997-4652LoginTry a Free Class

  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
logo
  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class

855-997-4652LoginTry a Free Class

  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
September 4, 2021 by Olga Put Spanish Vocabulary 0 comments

45 Idiomatic Spanish Expressions Using the Word ‘Por’

Did you know that por is one of the words most frequently used in Spanish expressions? According to RAE (Real Academia Española), por is the 13th most common word in Spanish! 

Keep reading to learn the 45 most common Spanish expressions with por. Use them in conversations to sound like a native. You’ll see por expressions for every occasion—expressions of excitement, of surprise, of time, and many others.

What Does Por Mean?

Let’s look at the historical roots of por. It comes from the Latin word “pro” which means “forward” and “per” which means “completely” and “through.” Pro and per are prefixes in words like probabilidad (probability) and perseverancia (perseverance).

In modern Spanish, por expresses movement, transportation, communication, exchanges, duration, reasons, and emotions. It is also present in many idiomatic expressions. 

Por is often confused with para, and it’s important to know the difference as both are often translated into English as “for.” Read When to Use Por or Para for a refresher.

Spanish Expressions with por

You don’t need to be a grammar expert to use the following Spanish expressions. Most of them are used daily by native Spanish speakers, so it’s essential to understand and use them in conversation.

Look for por expressions in Spanish books, Spanish movies, Spanish podcasts. Copy the sentences in which they appear, and write a similar sentence of your own. 

Check out these 45 Spanish expressions with por. Note that some of the Spanish expressions below are idiomatic, so their literal translation is different from their actual meaning.

1. Dar gato por liebre (take someone for a ride)

Me parece que en la tienda te dieron gato por liebre.
I have the feeling that in the shop they took you for a ride.

Spanish expressions

2. En un dos por tres (in just a sec, right away)

No te enojes, lo hago en un dos por tres y salimos a cenar. 
Don’t be mad, I’ll do it quickly and we will go out for dinner.

3. Gracias por (thank you for)

Gracias por tu ayuda.
Thank you for your help.

4. Hablar por alguien (to speak on behalf of someone)

Hablo por todos mis amigos que piensan igual que yo.
I speak for all my friends who think like me.

5. Palabra por palabra (word for word)

Antes de las copiadoras la gente copiaba textos palabra por palabra.
Before copiers, people copied texts word for word.

6. Poner por las nubes (to praise to the skies)

Las abuelas siempre ponen sus nietos por las nubes. 
Grandmothers always praise their grandchildren to the skies.

7. Por adelantado (in advance)

Necesito pagar por el libro en adelantado para que me lo envíen.
I need to pay for the book in advance to have it shipped to me.

8. Por ahora (so far, for the time being, for now)

Por ahora no me sé mucho español pero estoy estudiando.
So far I don’t know much Spanish but I’m studying.

9. Por allá / por allí / por ahí (around there)

La escuela de idiomas está por ahí.
The language school is over there.

10. Por amor de Dios (for the love of God)

Por amor de Dios, ¿qué comiste que te manchaste tanto?
For the love of God, what did you eat that stained your clothes so much?

11. Por aquel entonces (at that time)

Por aquel entonces todos estuvimos de acuerdo con el cambio.
At that time, everybody agreed with the change.

12. Por aquí (around here / this way)

No sé dónde están mis lentes pero tienen que estar por aquí.
I don’t know where my glasses are but they must be somewhere around here.

13. Por casualidad (by chance)

¿Por casualidad no tendrás 10 pesos que me prestes?
By any chance don’t you have 10 pesos that you can lend me?

Spanish expressions

14. Por ciento (percent)

40 por ciento de los estudiantes de primaria no saben leer con comprensión.
40 percent of primary school students cannot read with comprehension.

15. Por completo (completely, absolutely)

Tuvimos que actualizar el sistema que utilizamos por complete.
We had to completely update the system we use.

16. Por consecuencia (consequently)

Por consecuencia, los directores adoptaron las siguientes medidas.
Consequently, the directors took the following actions.

17. Por correo / teléfono / internet (by mail / phone / online)

Compré el libro por internet.
I bought the book online.

18. Por culpa de (due to)

Por culpa de tu primo no nos quieren dejar entrar.
Due to your cousin, they don’t want to let us in.

19. Por dentro (inside)

Sonríe pero por dentro se siente muy triste.
He smiles but inside he feels sad.

20. Por desgracia (unfortunately)

Por desgracia no pudimos terminar la tarea a tiempo.
Unfortunately, we were unable to finish the assignment on time.

21. Por Dios (oh my God, for heaven’s sake)

Por Dios, déjate de tonterías y empieza a estudiar.
For heaven’s sake, stop fooling around and start studying.

22. Por ejemplo (for example)

Por ejemplo, podrías ayudar a tu hermana a limpiar el cuarto.
For example, you could help your sister to clean the room.

Spanish expressions

23. Por escrito (in writing)

¿Me lo puedes poner por escrito para tener una prueba?
Can you write it for me to have proof?

24. Por eso (therefore, that’s why)

Y por eso no me gustan las zanahorias.
And therefore, I don’t like carrots.

25. Por favor (please)

¿Me ayudas por favor?
Can you help me, please?

26. Por fin (finally, at last)

¡Por fin te atreviste a venir!
You finally dared to come!

27. Por la mañana / tarde / noche (in the morning / afternoon / evening / at night)

A veces estudio por la mañana y trabajo por la trade.
I sometimes study in the morning and work in the afternoon.

28. Por las buenas o por las malas (whether you like it or not)

Te lo vas a comer por las buenas o por las malas. 
You’ll eat it whether you like it or not.

29. Por lo demás (otherwise, moreover)

Por lo demás, no puedes entrar aquí con esa ropa.
Otherwise, you can’t come in here in those clothes.

30. Por lo general (generally, in general)

Por lo general me gusta estar aquí.
In general, I like being here.

31. Por lo menos (at least)

Por lo menos esfuérzate.
At least put forth some effort.

32. Por lo mismo (for that reason, consequently)

Por lo mismo, tienes que inscribirte a tiempo.
For that reason, you register on time.

33. Por lo que a mí me toca (as far as I’m concerned)

Por lo que a mí me toca, no tienes que hacerlo.
As far as I’m concerned, you don’t have to do it.

34. Por lo que he oído (judging by what I’ve heard)

Por lo que he oído no es nada difícil conseguir la beca.
From what I’ve heard it’s not that difficult to get the grant.

35. Por lo tanto (therefore)

Y por lo tanto tienes que devolverle el dinero.
And therefore you have to give her back the money.

36. Por lo visto (apparently)

Por lo visto iba demasiado rápido y por eso se cayó.
Apparently, he was walking too fast and that’s why he fell.

37. Por los pelos (barely)

Pasé el examen por los pelos.
I barely passed the exam.

38. Por muy malo que sea (however bad it is)

Por muy malo que sea el gobierno hay que respetar las leyes.
No matter how bad the government is, you have to respect the laws.

39. Por mi parte (for my part)

Por mi parte no hay ningún problems.
For my part, there’s no issue. 

40. Por ningún lado (nowhere)

¿Has visto mis llaves? No las encuentro por ningún lado.
Have you seen my keys? I can’t find them anywhere.

41. Por poco (almost)

Por poco perdemos el avión.
We almost missed the plane.

42. Por primera / última vez (for the first / last time)

Por primera vez no le tengo miedo a un examen.
For the first time, I am not afraid of an exam.

43. ¿Por qué? Porque … (why? because…)

¿Por qué no me contestaste? Porque tenía el teléfono en silencio.
Why didn’t you answer? Because my phone was in a silent mood.

44. Por separado (separately)

Les hablamos a cada uno por separado.
We talked to each one of them separately.

45. Por si acaso (just in case)

Comprátelo por si acaso.
Buy it just in case.

Spanish Por Expressions Quiz

Quiz CTA

1. A Spanish expression that means to trick somebody is:

Correct! Wrong!

2. The por expression that means “for that reason” is

Correct! Wrong!

3. What would you say in Spanish if you did something “just in case”

Correct! Wrong!

4. What’s the Spanish idiomatic expression that means “very quickly”?

Correct! Wrong!

5. Translate this sentence: I almost believed her.

Correct! Wrong!

6. Translate this sentence: Oh my God, what have you done!

Correct! Wrong!

7. Translate this sentence: You can’t see it but inside he feels devastated.

Correct! Wrong!

8. Translate this sentence: Unfortunately, I can’t help you.

Correct! Wrong!

9. Translate this sentence: Why did you do it?

Correct! Wrong!

10. Translate this sentence: It was nowhere to be found.

Correct! Wrong!

Spanish Por Expressions Quiz
Wow, you've mastered Spanish por expressions! Good job!

You're a pro

You've got a solid understanding of how to use Spanish por expressions and the quality of your Spanish conversations are exploding through the roof!
You've almost mastered Spanish por expressions. Your consistent practice is leading to better results!

You're almost there

As you keep up your hard work and practice, you're starting to understand better how to use Spanish por expressions. For more study materials, keep up-to-date with our newest published blog posts at Homeschool Spanish Academy. *YOU'RE ALMOST THERE! You can do it!* Do you prefer learning with videos? Check out our YouTube channel Spanish Academy TV for the best Spanish learning content on the web!
Practice makes perfect! Keep on studying!

Keep on studying

Your motivation to learn Spanish is an essential ingredient to success! If you're ready to take your Spanish to the next level and master the usage of Spanish por expressions, then join us for a free Spanish class with one of our friendly, certified, native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala. Sign up today!

How did it go? If you feel like doing more exercises with por expressions, check out Por y Para exercises for intermediate Spanish learners.

Y Por Último, Give Your Spanish a Boost!

Well done! I can see that you’re determined to reach fluency in Spanish and become fully bilingual. And then… the world is yours! Did you know that simply by knowing one foreign language your salary can grow significantly? According to The Economist, a person can earn anywhere from $50,000 to $125,000 extra!

If you want to give your Spanish a boost and practice por expressions in one-to-one conversations, sign up for a free trial class with one of our native, Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala.

earn school credit spanish classes online for kids
Sign up for your FREE TRIAL CLASS today!

Ready to learn more Spanish grammar and vocabulary? Check these out!

  • Vegan and Vegetarian Vocabulary in Spanish
  • 18 Meanings of ‘Cuenta’ in Common Spanish Idioms
  • A-Z: Beginner Spanish Word Lists for Kids + Free Flashcards
  • 50 Essential Medical Phrases for Your Upcoming Physical
  • How To Introduce Yourself in Spanish
  • 100+ Basic Spanish Words and Phrases for Travelers
  • The Sweetest Guide to Valentine’s Day Vocabulary in Spanish
  • An Easy Vocabulary Guide to Describe the Post Office in Spanish
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Olga Put
Olga Put
Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy
I'm a Spanish philologist, teacher, and freelance writer with a Master's degree in Humanities from Madrid. I speak Polish, Spanish, and English fluently, and want to get better in Portuguese and German. A lover of literature, and Mexican spicy cuisine, I've lived in Poland, Spain, and Mexico and I'm currently living and teaching in Madeira, Portugal.
Olga Put
Latest posts by Olga Put (see all)
  • 10 Ways Learning Spanish Can Improve Your Child’s Behavior - March 20, 2023
  • Equipping Your Child for Fluency: 8 Tips for Teaching Spanish - March 15, 2023
  • Llegar vs Llevar in Spanish: What’s the Difference? - March 12, 2023
spanish vocabulary vocabulary
0

Related Posts

mission trip Spanish

45+ Mission Trip Spanish Phrases You Need To Know

December 23, 2021
Read More
Spanish quotes

44 Essential Spanish Quotes and Proverbs to Fuel Your Motivation

October 21, 2021
Read More
Spanish body parts

Spanish Body Parts: Vocabulary, Idioms, and Culture

January 4, 2022
Read More
Spanish greetings

Spanish 101: Greetings and Farewells

May 2, 2022
Read More

Leave a Comment! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

15 Fabulous Lessons I Learned From Puerto Rican Actress Rita MorenoPrevious Post
30 Must-Know Spanish Expressions Using the Verb 'Dar'Next Post

About Us

With over 10 years of experience, HSA is where your goals merge with our teachers’ passion: to improve your Spanish fluency. Custom-tailored to fit your needs, you choose your program, schedule, favorite teachers, pace of learning, and more.. Learn More

Resources

  • About
  • Get a Transcript
  • FAQs
  • How it Works
  • Partners

Recent Posts

  • 10 Ways Learning Spanish Can Improve Your Child’s Behavior
    10 Ways Learning Spanish Can Improve Your Child’s Behavior
    March 20, 2023
    You surely know that learning a second...
  • 8 Places to Learn Spanish in Costa Rica
    8 Places to Learn Spanish in Costa Rica
    March 18, 2023
    Here's an idea: learn Spanish in Costa Rica....

Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Contact Us© 2022 HSA. All rights reserved.