In Spanish, the preposition “por” has many uses, including expressing how long something lasts. This is similar to the English preposition “for.”
Basic Structure
The basic way to use “por” for duration is:
[Verb] + por + [Time Period]
Common Examples
- “Estudiamos por tres horas.” (We studied for three hours.)
- “Vivieron en París por cinco años.” (They lived in Paris for five years.)
- “Caminé por toda la tarde.” (I walked for the whole afternoon.)
- “El bebé durmió por dos horas.” (The baby slept for two hours.)
- “Esperamos por media hora.” (We waited for half an hour.)
Additional Examples
- “Trabajé por ocho horas sin descanso.” (I worked for eight hours without a break.)
- “La reunión duró por dos horas y media.” (The meeting lasted for two and a half hours.)
- “Viajaron por Europa por un mes entero.” (They traveled through Europe for an entire month.)
- “El perro ladró por toda la noche.” (The dog barked for the whole night.)
- “Llueve por tres días seguidos.” (It’s been raining for three days straight.)
Important Notes
- “Por” is for specific lengths of time. For actions or states that are still going on, use “desde” (since) or “desde hace” (for).Example: “Vivo aquí desde hace diez años.” (I’ve been living here for ten years.)
- Sometimes, especially in casual conversation, you can skip “por”:
- “Dormí (por) ocho horas anoche.” (I slept for eight hours last night.)
- “Durante” can also be used to mean “for” in some cases:
- “Estudié durante/por tres horas.” (I studied for three hours.)
- When talking about a specific time in the future, use “en” instead of “por”:
- “Terminaré en dos horas.” (I will finish in two hours.)
By understanding how to use “por” for duration, you can express how long things last more accurately in Spanish, making your communication clearer and more precise.