para

The Preposition "Para" in Brazilian Portuguese

The preposition para is one of the most common and versatile words in Brazilian Portuguese. It generally translates to 'for' or 'to' in English. Below is a breakdown of its forms and everyday uses.

Colloquial Forms and Contractions

In everyday Brazilian speech, para is commonly shortened and pronounced as /pra/. You will frequently see this non-standard spelling pra used in text messages, advertisements, and informal writing.

When combined with definite articles (o, a, os, as), it merges to form new colloquial words:

• para + o = pro (pronounced /pru/)
• para + os = pros (pronounced /prus/)
• para + a = pra (pronounced /pra/)
• para + as = pras (pronounced /pras/)

Using "Para" as 'For'

When translating to 'for', para is used to indicate:

• A beneficiary: Preciso comprar um presente para minha mãe. (I need to buy a present for my mom.)
• A purpose: A maior parte da safra é para exportação. (Most of the harvest is for export.)
• A time limit or deadline: Esse trabalho é para amanhã. (This assignment is for tomorrow.)
• A frame of reference: Ele é muito alto para a idade dele. (He is very tall for his age.)

Using "Para" as 'To'

When acting as 'to', para indicates direction or an indirect object:

• Permanent destination: Mudaram para São Paulo. (They moved to São Paulo.) / Ela vai embora para Londres. (She is moving away to London.)
• Temporary destination (Informal): In colloquial speech, it replaces the formal preposition a for temporary trips. Eles foram para o shopping. (They went to the mall.)
• Indirect object (Informal): It is widely used in spoken language to introduce the receiver of an action, replacing the formal a. Pergunta para a sua irmã se ela quer ir junto. (Ask your sister if she wants to go along.) / Ela contou tudo para a polícia. (She told everything to the police.)

"Para" vs. "Em"

In spoken Brazilian Portuguese, you might hear para and em used interchangeably to mean 'to' when expressing movement. However, para is typically the preferred choice before specific place names (like cities or countries). For example: Vamos para Brasília amanhã. (We are going to Brasília tomorrow.)