Using para (not por) to express the recipient of an action

One use of the preposition para (not por) in Spanish is to indicate the recipient of the action in the sentence. In other words, it expresses who/what benefits from the action. Have a look and listen to these examples:

Ayer compré ropa nueva para mi hija.Yesterday I bought new clothes for my daughter.

Ese plato con comida es para tu padre.That plate with food is for your dad.

He dejado aquí un poco de agua para los gatos.I left some water here for the cats.

Ella arreglaba las flores para la iglesia.She arranged the flowers for the church.

In all the examples above we can see who/what benefits from the action of the verb: mi hija, tu padre, los gatos, la iglesia.

See also Por vs Para in Spanish: Using para (and not por) to say who you work for

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Examples and resources

Ayer compré ropa nueva para mi hija.Yesterday I bought new clothes for my daughter.
Ese plato con comida es para tu padre.That plate with food is for your dad.
Ella arreglaba las flores para la iglesia.She arranged the flowers for the church.
He dejado aquí un poco de agua para los gatos.I left some water here for the cats.
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