per / per a

Per Versus Per a

Level 3

Per often marks route or cause; per a marks a recipient or intended use.

How It Works

Passem per Girona gives the route, while ho faig per tu can mean I do it for your sake or because of you. A recipient is clear in aquest paquet és per a tu. Before a noun, per a is a useful shared formal way to express destination or intended use.

With nouns, a useful written distinction is route/cause/means per versus recipient/intended destination per a. Compare un camí pel bosc, a path through the forest, with eines per al jardí, tools for the garden. Per can also express exchange: l'he comprat per deu euros.

Before infinitives, the distribution depends on construction and regional standard; it is not reducible to a single English-for translation rule. Keep clear noun-phrase examples as an anchor and consult the fuller purpose construction when needed. Both prepositions participate in normal article spelling: pels carrers, per als alumnes, per a l'escola.

Examples (3)

  1. He comprat el llibre per deu euros.

    I bought the book for ten euros.

  2. Aquests materials són per als alumnes.

    These materials are for the students.

  3. Ho hem enviat per correu.

    We have sent it by post.

How It Connects

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per / per aLevel 3Per Versus Per a

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