por
/poɾ/
The English word 'by' is translated into Spanish as por.
The preposition por is used to indicate a means. Other ways to express 'by' or 'through' include the phrase a través de, while usando can be used to show that an action is achieved by utilizing a specific object or tool.
Meaning: indicates a means (prep)
Which one should you use?
While por can mean 'by' (indicating means or cause), para is used to indicate purpose or destination.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/poɾ/
Did you know?
- While por means 'by', using it in the phrase por favor literally translates to 'by favor'. This is the standard way to say 'please' across the Spanish-speaking world.
- The Latin ancestor of por, prō, is a direct relative of the English preposition 'for'.
- The phrase por si acaso uses por to mean 'just in case'. This is a common idiomatic expression where the word 'by' vanishes entirely in English translation.
Examples in context
- Hazlo por ti mismo.Do it by yourself.This sentence shows how to use por to mean 'by yourself'.Tatoeba #580966 by Shishir, translation #327656 by CK
- Me pagan por horas.I'm paid by the hour.This sentence demonstrates using por to indicate the rate of payment.Tatoeba #1761580 by Shishir, translation #258119 by CK
- Pasemos por su casa.Let's drop by his house.This sentence illustrates using por to indicate dropping by a location.Tatoeba #1408594 by marcelostockle, translation #466045 by CK
- El informe fue enviado por correo electrónico.The report was sent by email.
- La información fue obtenida mediante una investigación exhaustiva.The information was obtained by means of thorough investigation.
- Puedes contactarme a través de WhatsApp.You can contact me through WhatsApp.
- El libro fue escrito por Gabriel García Márquez.The book was written by Gabriel García Márquez.
- Lo hice solo.I did it by myself.
- 1630 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are discussing how to send a gift.
- Sofía¿Lo enviamos por correo?Shall we send it by mail?
- JavierSí, mejor por correo.Yes, by mail is better.
- SofíaEstá bien, lo envío por la tarde.Okay, I will send it in the afternoon.
- JavierGracias, Sofía.Thank you, Sofía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “by” translations and entries por, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries por, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
