el tráfico en el centro estaba imposible

I II I II

Ex: This article discusses the pre-revolutionary shortage of books on agriculture economy in 1913, and how existing books only discussed the miserable, hopeless life of the peasants.

* conseguir lo imposible = achieve + the impossible, accomplish + the impossible, shoot (for) + the moon.

* creer en lo imposible = believe in + the impossible.

* esperar lo imposible = shoot (for) + the moon, cry for + the moon, ask for + the moon, reach for + the moon.

* hacer lo imposible = do + the impossible, lean over + backwards, double over + backwards.

* hacer lo imposible para = jump through + hoops.

* hacer que sea imposible = render + impossible.

* imposible de comparar = incommemsurable, incommensurate.

* imposible de delimitar = unmappable.

* imposible de entregar = undeliverable.

* imposible de localizar = untraceable.

* imposible de medir = incommemsurable, incommensurate.

* imposible de mezclar = unmixable.

* imposible de representar = unmappable.

* imposible de resistir = impossible to resist.

* intentar algo imposible = bang + Posesivo + head against.

* intentar lograr lo imposible = square + the circle.

* intentar lo imposible = attempt + the impossible, be an attempt at the impossible, square + the circle.

* lograr lo imposible = achieve + the impossible, accomplish + the impossible.

* mejor imposible = as good as it gets.

* no hay nada imposible = all bets are off.

* pretender lograr lo imposible = square + the circle.

* pretender lo imposible = square + the circle.

* resultar imposible = prove + impossible.

* ser imposible = be out of the question, be dead meat.

 

imposible adjetivo
1 [ser] ‹sueño/amor› impossible;

es imposible que lo sepan they can't possibly know;
hicieron lo imposible they did everything they could
2 ( inaguantable) ‹ persona› impossible;

imposible
I adjetivo
1 impossible: resulta imposible de creer, it's impossible to believe
es imposible que ya hayan vuelto, they can't possibly have got back already
2 fam (inaguantable, intratable) unbearable: tiene un carácter imposible, he is quite unbearable
II sustantivo masculino the impossible, impossible thing: no me pidas imposibles, don't ask me for the impossible
♦ Locuciones: hacer lo imposible, to do one's utmost: hicieron lo imposible por ayudar a los heridos, they did their utmost to help the injured
' imposible' also found in these entries:
Spanish:
dejar
- me
- tener
- venga
- cuenta
- estar
- imposibilitar
- ser
- vida
English:
defy
- democracy
- detection
- impossible
- question
- that
- unreadable
- virtually
- awkward
- clearly
- hell
- hopeless
- job
- notice
- physically
- possibly
- rule
- the
- unobtainable
- way

+ subjun + infin por qué why ¿por? * why (do you ask)?

Ex: This means that a large number of messages can be combined together along the same line, giving economies of scales.

Ex: I wouldn't expect you to be detailed in your report in terms of where the bookmible would stop around town and where you'd park it.

Ex: This makes him feel somehow defficient and all because of his difficulty in making sense out of words in print with which his troubles began.

Ex: A set of government publications could be filed alphabetically by the issuing bureau, and then by title of the particular series in numerical order.

Ex: Micrographic and computer technologies and their integration will become increasingly efficacious as agents for change with respect to the continued existence of the traditional 75 by 125 millimeter card.

Ex: Some users find the format of KWIC indexes unacceptable, they find alphabetical arrangement by keywords down the centre of a page, and wrapped-round titles awkward.

Ex: The advocates of ISBD originally argued that it was for the sake of the computer.

Ex: There is an index to the schedules, but this has been criticised in connection with the size of the entry vocabulary.

Ex: Its notability is seen to lie in the fact that it has significantly broken the stranglehold upon postgraduate studentships in the gift of the Science and Engineering Research Council.

Ex: Partly on account of the variety of bases for coverage there is significant overlap between the assortment of abstracting and indexing services.

Ex: AACR2 has been criticised on the grounds that it does not identify the cataloguing unit to which the rules refer.

Ex: Indexing can thus be achieved at a detailed level, with often many terms per document, with almost no indexing effort.

Ex: The contributions are input to the data base, then referred and any suggestion made by the referee are communicated through the data base to the editor.

Ex: 4 days times 30 cents per day = 120 cents.

Ex: One of the outcomes of entry under title has been the proliferation of serials titles.

Ex: Card catalogues or indexes comprise a set of cards often 5x3 inches (122x72 mm), with each entry on a separate card.

Ex: Most drivers stop at stop signs: Some do under duress -- there may be a policeman concealed in nearby bushes, others as a matter of prudence -- a fast car with the right of way can be injurious.

Ex: But these and other interested people collected this type of books out of a mixture of curiosity and sentiment.

Ex: This article argues that critical thinking, a long sought after goal in the US educational system, may be taught efficiently through the agency of library use instructions within the college environment.

* actuar por impulso = act on + impulse.

* aprendizaje por medio del ordenador = computer-based learning (CBL).

* aunque por otro lado = but otherwise.

* búsqueda por medio de menús = menu-assisted searching.

* coger por sorpresa = catch out.

* Día + por la tarde = late + Día.

* digamos por ejemplo = let us say.

* dominar por completo = sweep + the board.

* encontrar por casualidad = come across.

* encuadernación por encargo = bespoke binding.

* error por omisión = omission failure.

* estar por delante de = be ahead of.

* hecho por encargo = bespoke.

* introducir por primera vez = pioneer.

* leer por encima = browse.

* llamar por teléfono = call up.

* muy por encima de todo = over and above all.

* Nombre + por primera vez = Nombre + ever.

* ordenado por fecha = in date order.

* pasar por alto = bypass [by-pass], skip over, pass + Nombre/Pronombre + by.

* pongamos por ejemplo = let us say.

* por accidente = accidentally.

* por adelantado = advance, in advance (of), up-front [up front].

* por ahí = out there.

* por ahora = as of right now, as yet, at present, at the moment, at this point, for the present, for the time being, just yet, for now, at this time, as of now, at the present, by now, for the nonce.

* por ahora todo va bien = so far, so good.

* por alguna razón = for some reason, for whatever reason.

* por algún motivo = for whatever reason.

* por algún tiempo = for sometime.

* por allí = nearby [near-by].

* por amor al arte = (just) for the fun of (doing) it, (just) for the hell of (doing) it.

* por analogía = by analogy.

* por anticipado = in advance (of).

* por antonomasia = quintessential, unique.

* por añadidura = in addition (to), on top of everything else.

* por aquel entonces = at the time, about that time, by this time.

* por aquí = around here, nearby [near-by], round here.

* por aquí y por allí = hanging about.

* por así decir = as it were.

* por boca de = by word of mouth.

* por bondad = out of the goodness of + Posesivo + heart.

* por buena dirección = a step in the right direction.

* por buen camino = a step in the right direction.

* por cabeza = per person.

* por cable = wireline, corded.

* por caminos apartados = off-road.

* por capas = multilayered [multi-layered/multi layered], layered, tiered.

* por casualidad = by chance, coincidentally, fortuitously, by accident, by happenstance, happen to + Infinitivo, chance to + Infinitivo, accidentally, by a fluke, by luck, by a stroke of (good) luck.

* por chiripa = by chance, by a fluke, by luck, by a stroke of (good) luck.

* por ciento = per cent [percent] (%).

* por cierto = coincidentally, incidentally, by the way, anecdotally, by the by(e), speaking of which.

* por coincidencia = by coincidence.

* por comodidad = for convenience, for the sake of + convenience.

* por completo = fully.

* por confirmar = to be announced, to be confirmed.

* por consideración a = out of respect for.

* por consideración a = out of consideration for.

* por consiguiente = consequently, then, thence, by implication, therefore.

* por contra = in contrast.

* por conveniencia = for convenience, for the sake of + convenience.

* por correo = by post, mailed.

* por cortesía de = courtesy of.

* por cualquier motivo = for whatever reason.

* por cualquier razón = for whatever reason.

* por cuanto que = because.

* por cuenta ajena = vicariously.

* por cuenta de uno = privately.

* por cuenta propia = freelance, self-employed, at + Posesivo + own expense.

* por cuenta y riesgo de Uno = at + Posesivo + peril.

* por curiosidad = out of curiosity.

* por debajo de = below, beneath, underneath.

* por debajo de + Cantidad = under + Cantidad.

* por debajo de cero = sub-zero, below-freezing.

* por debajo del 10 por ciento = single digit, single figure.

* por debajo de la media = sub-par, below-average.

* por debajo de las posibilidades = below + Posesivo + capabilities.

* por debajo de lo normal = below-normal.

* por debajo de lo óptimo = sub-optimal [suboptimal].

* por debajo del peso nomral = underweight.

* por décadas = ten-yearly.

* por decidir = to be decided.

* por decirlo así = so to speak, in a manner of speaking.

* por decirlo de alguna manera = so to speak.

* por decirlo de algún modo = in a manner of speaking, so to speak.

* por decisión propia = by choice.

* por defecto = by default, default.

* por deferencia a = in deference to.

* por definición = by definition.

* por delante = ahead.

* por delante de = ahead of.

* por delante de la competencia = ahead of the game.

* por delante y por detrás = front and back.

* por dentro = inwardly.

* por desgracia = unfortunately, sadly, unhappily, disappointingly.

* por despecho = spitefully, out of spite.

* ¡por dios! = in heaven's name, for God's sake, gosh.

* ¡por Dios! = for crying out loud!.

* por diversión = for sport, for fun, (just) for the hell of (doing) it, for kicks, (just) for the fun of (doing) it.

* por divertirse = for kicks.

* por doquier = all around.

* por dos años = two-year.

* por ejemplo = e.g. (latín - exempli gratia), for example, for instance, say, to illustrate, for the sake of + argument.

* por (el) amor a = for the love of.

* ¡por el amor de Dios! = for crying out loud!.

* por el bien del saber = for knowledge's sake.

* por el contrario = by contrast, conversely, however, in contrast, instead, on the contrary, by way of contrast, to the contrary, quite the opposite, by comparison, contrariwise, quite the contrary, quite the reverse.

* por el cual = whereby, whereupon.

* por el detalle = for detail.

* por el día = by day, daytime [day-time], during the daytime, in the daytime, during daytime.

* por el día o por la noche = day or night.

* por el día y por la noche = day and night, night and day.

* por elección propia = by choice.

* por el gobierno = governmentally + Adjetivo.

* por el gobierno federal = federally.

* por el hecho de que = because of the fact that.

* por el hombre = humanly.

* por ello = on this basis, on that basis, accordingly.

* por el mero hecho de saber = for knowledge's sake.

* por el método de ensayo y error = by trial and error, trial and error.

* por el modo = by the way.

* por el momento = for the time being, momentarily, at the moment, for the nonce, for the present.

* por el placer de hacerlo = (just) for the fun of (doing) it.

* por el que se puede cobrar = chargeable.

* por el receptor = at the receiving end.

* por el sexo = gendered.

* por encargo = custom, bespoke.

* por encima = overhead, cursorily.

* por encima de = across, beyond, beyond all, over, over and above, beyond the range of, well over + Expresión Numérica, overarching, above.

* por encima de + Cantidad = in excess of + Cantidad.

* por encima de eso = beyond that.

* por encima del 10 por ciento = double digit, double figure.

* por encima de la media = above average.

* por encima de la tierra = aboveground.

* por encima de toda crítica = beyond reproach, above reproach.

* por encima de toda duda = beyond reproach, above reproach.

* por encima de toda razón = beyond reason.

* por encima de toda sospecha = above suspicion.

* por encima de todo = at all costs, at any cost, at any price.

* por ende = thereby, accordingly, therefore.

* por enfado = out of anger.

* por enojo = out of anger.

* por error = by mistake.

* por esa razón = thereby, for that reason.

* por escrito = in writing, in print, written.

* por eso = on that score, therefore.

* por eso que = hence.

* por esta razón = for this reason.

* por esta única razón = for this reason alone.

* por este motivo = for this reason.

* por esto = thus, accordingly, therefore.

* por etapas = staged.

* por excelencia = par excellence, quintessential, unique.

* por exceso = excessively, to excess.

* por explotar = untapped.

* por + Expresión Temporal = by the + Expresión Temporal.

* por extensión = by extension.

* por extenso = in full, at length.

* por falta de = for want of, for lack of.

* por fases = staged.

* por favor = please.

* por favor, responda = RSVP [R.S.V.P.].

* por fin = at length, at last, finally, at long last.

* por fin llegó la hora (de) = it's about time (that).

* por frustración = out of frustration.

* por fuera = outwardly, outwardly.

* por grupos = in batches.

* por gusto = for kicks, (just) for the fun of (doing) it, (just) for the hell of (doing) it.

* por hora = hourly.

* por horas = on an hourly basis.

* por igual = alike, on an equitable basis, equally, in equal measure(s).

* por imitación = copycat.

* por incremento gradual = incremental.

* por incrementos graduales = incrementally.

* por individuo = per capita, per person.

* por iniciativa de = at the instigation of, under the auspices of.

* por instinto = instinctively.

* por interés = out of interest.

* por interés personal = self-interested.

* por investigar = unresearched.

* por invitación = invitational.

* por invitación de = at the invitation of.

* por la borda = overboard.

* por la cantidad de + Número = amounting to + Cantidad.

* por la forma = by the way.

* por la friolera de + Cantidad = to the tune of + Cantidad.

* por la fuerza = forcibly.

* por la mala fortuna = by ill fate.

* por la mala suerte = by ill luck, by bad luck, by ill fate.

* por la manera = by the way.

* por la mañana = in the morning.

* por la mañana y por la noche = morning and night.

* por la noche = overnight, at night, night-time, after dark, by night.

* por la posibilidad de = at the prospect of.

* por la presente = hereby.

* por las buenas o por las malas = by hook or by crook.

* por la sencilla razón = for no other reason.

* por las nubes = soaring.

* por la tarde = in the evening.

* por ley = mandated.

* por libre = freelance.

* por línea telefónica = over the telephone line.

* por lo general = on the whole, all in all, in general, generally, generally speaking, in the normal run of events, in the normal run of things.

* por lo pronto = for the time being.

* por lo que = so.

* por lo que concierne a = as far as + Nombre + be + concerned, so far as + Nombre + be concerned.

* por lo que concierne a Uno = on + Posesivo + side.

* por lo que dicen todos = by all accounts.

* por lo que es = in + Posesivo + own right.

* por lo que incumbe a Uno = on + Posesivo + side.

* ¡Por lo que más quieras! = for God's sake.

* por lo que se refiere a = moving on to.

* por lo que son = in + Posesivo + own right.

* por lo que yo sé = to the best of my knowledge.

* por los pelos = by the skin of + Posesivo + teeth, close call, close shave.

* por los siguientes motivos = on the following counts.

* por los suelos = in tatters.

* por lo tanto = consequently, ergo, so, then, thereby, therefore, thus, it follows that.

* por lo visto = apparently, apparently.

* por mala fortuna = unfortunately, unhappily, sadly.

* por mala suerte = by ill luck, by bad luck, by a stroke of bad luck, by ill fate.

* por mal camino = astray.

* por más que lo intento = for the life of me.

* por materias = subject-based, topically.

* por mecionar sólo unos cuantos = to mention only a few.

* por medio = out of.

* por medio de = by means of, by way of, in the form of, through, via, via the medium of, by dint of, through the agency of.

* por medio de isótopos = isotopically.

* por medio de otro(s) = by proxy.

* por medio de una agencia = on a bureau basis.

* por mencionar sólo algunos = to mention but a few of, to mention only a few.

* por mencionar sólo unos cuantos = to mention but a few of, to name only some.

* por mencionar sólo unos pocos = to name but a few.

* por mencionar unos pocos = just to name a few.

* por menús = menu-driven.

* por méritos = meritorious.

* por mes = per month.

* por miedo de = for fear of/that.

* por millones = in the millions, by the millions.

* por mor de = because of, out of consideration for, out of respect for.

* por motivo de = in the interest(s) of.

* por motivos de = for the sake of, on grounds.

* por motivos de + Nombre = for + Nombre's sake.

* por muchas razones = in many ways.

* por mucho que lo intento = for the life of me.

* por mucho tiempo = for long, for long periods of time.

* por muy + Adjetivo/Adverbio + Nombre + que + Subjuntivo = however + Adjetivo/Adverbio + Nombre + Verbo.

* por muy + Adjetivo/Adverbio + que sea = however + Adjetivo/Adverbio.

* por muy + Adjetivo + be = Adjetivo + though + Nombre + be.

* por muy difícil que parezca = difficult though it may seem, difficult as it may seem.

* por muy extraño que parezca = oddly enough, strangely enough, strange though it may seem, strange as it may seem, although it may seem strange, funnily enough, funnily.

* por muy increíble que parezca = incredible though it may seem, incredibly, incredibly enough, incredible as it may seem, although it may seem incredible.

* por muy mentira que parezca = incredibly, incredible though it may seem, strangely enough, incredibly enough, incredible as it may seem, strange though it may seem, strange as it may seem, although it may seem strange, although it may seem incredible.

* por muy raro que parezca = strangely enough, oddly enough, strange though it may seem, strange as it may seem, although it may seem strange.

* por nada = for nothing.

* por nada del mundo = for the life of me.

* por nada or casi nada = at little or no extra cost.

* por naturaleza = by nature, by definition, characteristically, natural-born, naturally, inherently.

* por necesidad = of necessity, out of necessity.

* por niveles = multilayered [multi-layered/multi layered], multilayer, layered, tiered.

* por no decir algo peor = to put it mildly.

* por no decir nada de = to say nothing of.

* por no decir nunca = if ever.

* por no decir otra cosa peor = to say the least.

* por nombrar (sólo) + Número = to name (only) + Número.

* por nombrar sólo unos cuantos = to name only some.

* por nombrar sólo unos pocos = to name but a few.

* por + Nombre = on a + Adjetivo + basis.

* por no mencionar = not to mention.

* por norma = as a rule.

* por + Número + cosas = on + Número + counts.

* por orden de = mandated.

* por orden del congreso = congressionally mandated.

* por orden de llegada = on a first come first served basis.

* por orden numérico = in numerical order.

* por otra parte = on the other hand, on the other side, on the flip side.

* por otro lado = alternatively, however, on the other hand, on the other side, for another thing, on the flip side, on another topic, on another matter, on another note, on other matters.

* por parejas = in pairs.

* por parte de = on the part of.

* por parte de uno = on + Posesivo + part.

* por pasar el rato = (just) for the fun of (doing) it, (just) for the hell of (doing) it.

* por pereza = lazily.

* por + Período de Tiempo = for + Expresión Temporal.

* por persona = per person.

* por placer = for kicks, (just) for the fun of (doing) it, (just) for the hell of (doing) it.

* por poco dinero = cheaply.

* por poco o nada = at little or no extra cost.

* por poderes = by proxy.

* por poner un ejemplo + Adjetivo = to take a + Adjetivo + example.

* por poner un ejemplo sobre + Nombre = to take + Nombre.

* por + Posesivo + cuenta = at + Posesivo + own expense.

* por + Posesivo + parte = for + Posesivo + part.

* por + Posesivo + propia cuenta = at + Posesivo + own expense.

* por + Posesivo + (propia) naturaleza = in + Posesivo + nature.

* por primera vez = first + Verbo, for the first time, for once.

* por principio = on principle.

* por principios = as a matter of principle.

* por probar nada se pierde = nothing ventured, nothing gained.

* por + Pronombre + mismo = all by + Reflexivo, by + Reflexivo.

* por propia iniciativa = self-directed.

* por pura curiosidad = just out of interest, (just) as a mater of interest.

* por pura diversión = for kicks.

* por puro entretenimiento = (just) for the fun of (doing) it, (just) for the hell of (doing) it.

* por puro placer = (just) for the fun of (doing) it, (just) for the hell of (doing) it.

* por qué = why.

* por razones + Adjetivo = for + Nombre + purposes.

* por razones de = for the sake of.

* por razones de seguridad = for security reasons, for safety reasons.

* por razones éticas = on moral grounds.

* por razones morales = on moral grounds.

* por razones personales = for personal reasons.

* por + Reflexivo + cuenta = for + Reflexivo.

* por rencor = out of spite.

* por respeto a = out of respect for, out of consideration for.

* por rumores = grapevine.

* por rutina = routinely.

* por sacos = by the sackful.

* por satélite = satellite-based.

* por segunda vez = a second time, the second time around, a second time around.

* por seguridad = for safety reasons.

* por semana = per week.

* por separado = at different times, in isolation, separately, singly.

* por ser + Adjetivo = as being + Adjetivo.

* por sexo = along gender lines.

* por si = in the chance that.

* por si acaso = in case of, on the off chance, just in case, on spec, for good measure.

* por si casualidad = in the chance that.

* por si era poco = for good measure.

* por si fuera poco = to boot, for good measure, to add insult to injury, to add salt to injury, to rub salt in the wound.

* por si hace falta consultarlo en el futuro = for future reference.

* por si las moscas = just in case, on spec.

* por sí mismo = for its/their own sake, in itself, in + Posesivo + own right, itself, unto + Reflexivo, in and of + Reflexivo.

* por sí mismos = in themselves.

* por simple curiosidad = (just) as a mater of interest, just out of interest.

* por si sirve de algo = for what it's worth [FWIW].

* por sí solo = by itself, for its/their own sake, on its own, in and of + Reflexivo, in itself.

* por sí solos = by themselves, in themselves.

* por si + tener + suerte = on spec.

* por sorpresa = unawares.

* por su cuenta y riesgo = at + Posesivo + own risk.

* por suerte = luckily, fortunately, happily.

* por suerte o por desgracia = for better or (for) worse, by luck or misfortune.

* por su naturaleza = by + Posesivo + nature.

* por su papel = in its role.

* por su parte = in + Posesivo + own right.

* por su propia voluntad = of its own accord.

* por su propio derecho = in + Posesivo + own right.

* por supuesto = of course, surely, to be sure, certainly.

* ¡por supuesto que no! = heaven forbid, heaven forbid.

* por suscripción = subscriber + Nombre.

* por su volatilidad = mercurially.

* por su volubilidad = mercurially.

* por tanto = consequently, ergo, so, then, thereby, therefore, thus, it follows that.

* por teléfono = on the telephone, by tele(phone), over the phone, over the telephone.

* por temas = topically.

* por temor a = for fear of/that.

* por temor a represalias = under duress.

* por término medio = on average.

* por toda la ciudad = citywide [city-wide].

* por toda la Internet = Internet-wide.

* por toda la nación = nationwide [nation-wide].

* por toda la provincia = province-wide.

* por toda la vida = lifetime [life-time].

* por todas las instituciones oficiales = government-wide.

* por todas partes = all over the place, everywhere, widely, all around, far and wide.

* por toda una vida = lifetime [life-time].

* por todo = all over, throughout, all the way through.

* por todo el campus universitario = campus-wide [campuswide].

* por todo el continente = continent-wide.

* por todo el distrito = district-wide [districtwide].

* por todo el gobierno = government-wide.

* por todo el mundo = worldwide [world-wide], around the world, across the globe, around the globe, across the world, around the planet, the world over.

* por todo el planeta = across the planet, planet-wide.

* por todo el servicio = service-wide.

* por todo lo alto = grandly, on a grand scale.

* por todo + Lugar = up and down + Lugar.

* por todo + Nombre de Lugar = across + Nombre de Lugar.

* por todos conocido = well-known.

* por todos lados = left, right and centre, far and wide.

* por todos los medios = by all means.

* por todos sitios = everywhere.

* por triplicado = in triplicate.

* por trueque = in kind.

* por turnos = on a rotating basis, on a rota basis, on a rota system, on a rota.

* por última vez = for the last time, one last time.

* por último = finally, last, lastly, ultimately.

* por último pero no menos importante = last but not least.

* por una lado... por otro = at one end... at the other.

* por unanimidad = unanimously.

* por una parte = on the one hand, on the one side.

* por un gran margen = by a huge margin.

* por un gustazo, un trancazo = a kingdom for a kiss.

* por unidad = per unit.

* por un lado = for one, on the one hand, on the one side.

* por un lado entra + Nombre + y por otro sale + Nombre = in go + Nombre + at one end, and out come + Nombre + at the other.

* por un momento = for a moment.

* por uno mismo = on + Posesivo + own, for + Reflexivo.

* por unos momentos = for a few moments, for a short time.

* por uno solo = solo.

* por un período de tiempo limitado = on a short-term basis.

* por un tiempo = for a time.

* por un tiempo indefinido = for an indefinite time to come, for indefinite time.

* por valor de + Cantidad = amounting to + Cantidad.

* por varias razones = for a variety of reasons, for a number of reasons.

* por varios motivos = for a number of reasons.

* por venganza = out of spite.

* por voluntad propia = voluntarily.

* quedar por ver = remain + to be seen.

* tirar dinero y esfuerzo por la borda = be money and effort down the drain.

* transporte por tierra = land transport.

* utilizar por primera vez = pioneer.

 

por preposición
1 ( causa) because of;

por naturaleza by nature;
por necesidad out of necessity;
por eso no dije nada that's why I didn't say anything;
fue por eso que no te llamé that was why I didn't call you;
si no fuera por mi hijo … if it wasn't for my son …;
me pidió perdón por haberme mentido he apologized for lying o for having lied to me
2 ( en locs)

no dijo por qué he didn't say why;
¿por qué no vienes conmigo? why don't you come with me?;
por si in case;
por si no entiende in case he doesn't understand;
See Also→ acaso 2, mosca
3 ( en expresiones concesivas):

por (muy) fácil que sea however easy o no matter how easy it is
4


por adelantado in advance;
por escrito in writing


lo dijeron por la radio they said it on the radio;
por avión by air;
la conocí por la voz I recognized her by her voice;
me enteré por un amigo I heard from o through a friend
5


120 kilómetros por hora 120 kilometers an o per hour;
por metro/docena by the meter/dozen;
tú comes por tres you eat enough for three people;
tiene tres metros de largo por uno de ancho it's three meters long by one meter wide;
uno por uno one by one;
See Also→ ciento sustantivo masculino b


6


pasa por inglesa she passes for an Englishwoman


7 ( introduciendo el agente) by;

1 (finalidad, objetivo):

lo hace por el dinero he does it for the money;
no entré por no molestarlo I didn't go in because I didn't want to disturb him;
por que + subj (here por que can also be written porque): estaba ansioso por que lo escucharan he was eager for them to listen to him
2 (indicando inclinación, elección):

no siento nada por él I don't feel anything for him;
votó por ella he voted for her
3 ( en busca de): salió/fue por or (Esp) a por pan he went (out) for some bread, he went (out) to get some bread
4 ( en lo que respecta a):

5 (esp AmL) estar por + inf ( estar a punto de) to be about to + inf;

deben (de) estar por llegar they should be arriving any minute
1


sal por aquí go out this way;
se cayó por la escalera he fell down the stairs;
¿el 121 va por (la) Avenida Rosas? does the 121 go along Rosas Avenue?;
¿por dónde has venido? which way did you come?;
está por ahí he's over there somewhere;
¿por dónde está el hotel? whereabouts is the hotel?;
viven por mi barrio they live around my area;
voy por la página 15 I'm up to o I'm on page 15;
empieza por el principio start at the beginning;
agárralo por el mango hold it by the handle


ver tb dentro, fuera, encima, etc
2 ( tiempo) for;

por el momento or por ahora for the time being, for now;
ver tb mañana, tarde, noche
3 (Esp) ( ocasión) for;

por preposición
1 (autoría) by: está escrito por mí, it was written by me
2 (camino, lugar) through: viajamos por Castilla, we travelled round Castilla
3 (medio) lo enviaron por avión, they sent it by plane
me enteré por el periódico, I read about it in the newspaper
4 (motivo, causa) because of
por tu culpa, because of you
(en favor de) for: hazlo por ellos, do it for their sake
por la libertad, for freedom
5 (en torno a) por San Juan, near Saint John's Day
6 (durante) por la mañana/noche, in the morning/at night
por el momento, for the time being
7 (a través) entramos por la puerta, we got in through the door
miramos por la ventana, we looked out (of) the window
pasamos por la ciudad, we went through the town
8 (sobre, por encima de) cruzaremos por el puente, we'll cross the bridge
9 (delante de) paso todos los días por tu casa, I go by your house every day
10 (a cambio de) for: te doy mi helado por tu yogur, I'll swap you my ice-cream for your yoghurt
11 (en una distribución, cálculo) por cabeza, a head, per person
mil pesetas por hora, a thousand pesetas per hour
dos mil revoluciones por minuto, two thousand revolutions per minute
12 (en una multiplicación) dos por dos, cuatro, two times two is four
un diez por ciento, ten per cent
13 (con infinitivo) in order to, so as to
trabajar por trabajar, to work for the sake of it
♦ Locuciones: por así decirlo, so to speak
por más/mucho que..., no matter how...
por qué, why
' por' also found in these entries:
Spanish:
A
- abogar
- abonar
- abonarse
- abotargada
- abotargado
- abuelo
- acabar
- acaso
- accidente
- acercarse
- acertar
- aclamación
- acomplejada
- acomplejado
- acomplejarse
- acoquinar
- acostumbrar
- actual
- adelantada
- adelantado
- adivinar
- admitir
- adoración
- aérea
- aéreo
- afanarse
- afectada I
- afectado
- afición
- agradecer
- aguantar
- ahí
- ahogada
- ahogado
- ahora
- ahorcarse
- ahorrar
- aire
- alegrarse
- algo
- allá
- allí
- almacén
- alquiler
- alta
- alto
- aludida
- aludido
- amarga
English:
A
- aback
- ablaze
- about
- above
- absence
- absorb
- accident
- accidentally
- acclaim
- accompany
- accord
- accordingly
- account
- accustom
- actual
- actually
- add to
- advocate
- after
- afternoon
- again
- against
- air
- airmail
- alert
- allowance
- alone
- alphabetically
- alternately
- amble
- amends
- amok
- angry
- annihilate
- annoy
- answer for
- answering service
- antipathy
- anxious
- anywhere
- apologetic
- apologize
- appal
- appall
- apparently
- appearance
- appease
- appointment
- appreciate
Esp Fam