Estar por meaning

Question

Está para llover.It is about to rain.Note that the last example above expressing it's about to rain, could also use por with the same meaning: "Está por llover"Hola, what is the difference  between estar por and estar para. Muchas gracias, shirley.

Silvia Piriz · Accepted Answer

Hola Shirley S.
Good question, because estar por and estar para can look very similar, but they are not used in exactly the same way.
Estar por + infinitive is used to express that something is imminent or very likely to happen, especially with natural phenomena or situations that are just about to occur. That’s why Está por llover means that there are clear signs that rain is imminent (dark clouds, wind, etc.). This is a very common and natural expression in everyday Spanish.
Estar para + infinitive, on the other hand, is more about readiness, willingness, or being in the right condition to do something. For example, Estoy para salir suggests that you are ready to leave. In the case of Está para llover, it can also be used, but it tends to sound more like “conditions are right for it to rain” and is often slightly less natural than estar por when talking about the weather.
In short, when you want to say that something is about to happen, especially with the weather, estar por + infinitive is the most natural choice. Estar para + infinitive is more commonly used to talk about being ready or prepared to do something.
Thanks for the question!
Silvia