για in Depth | Greek Grammar

The preposition για points to what an action is intended for or directed toward: a beneficiary, a purpose, a topic, an intended destination, or an exchange value. It also frames an interval or a personal viewpoint. English often uses for or about, but not every English for becomes για. All uses here are neutral and everyday unless marked otherwise.

The map of meanings

Use	Greek example	Natural English
beneficiary	ένα δώρο για σένα	a present for you
purpose	πάω για ψωμί	I am going to get bread
topic	μιλάμε για τη δουλειά	we talk about work
duration	για μια βδομάδα	for a week
intended destination	φεύγω για Αθήνα	I am leaving for Athens
price / exchange	το πούλησα για δέκα ευρώ	I sold it for ten euros
viewpoint	για μένα	in my view

για governs the accusative, including strong pronouns: για μένα, για σένα, για αυτόν. Its basic form, including the elided spelling γι' before a vowel, is covered on the basic για page.

Beneficiary and noun-purpose

When someone benefits from an object or action, για marks the intended recipient. This is different from the actual transfer recipient marked by σε: αγόρασα ένα βιβλίο για τη Μαρία says whom the book is intended for; έδωσα το βιβλίο στη Μαρία says who received it.

Αυτό το δώρο είναι για σένα, άνοιξέ το.

aftó to dhóro íne ya séna, ániksé to

This present is for you — open it.

With a bare noun, για often compresses a purpose or errand: για καφέ, για ψώνια, για δουλειά, για ψωμί.

Πέρασα από τον φούρνο για ψωμί πριν γυρίσω σπίτι.

pérasa apó ton fúrno ya psomí prin yiríso spíti

I stopped at the bakery for bread before going home.

💡

Think of beneficiary and purpose as the same underlying relation: the action is directed toward an intended outcome. Context tells you whether για τη Μαρία means “for Maria” or για ψωμί means “to get bread.”

Clause-purpose: για να + verb

When the purpose is an action rather than a noun, Greek uses για να + a finite verb. Modern Greek has no productive infinitive corresponding to English to buy, so the verb shows person and aspect after να.

Πήγα στο φούρνο για να πάρω ψωμί και γάλα.

pígha sto fúrno ya na páro psomí ke ghála

I went to the bakery to get bread and milk.

Compare πήγα για ψωμί, which merely names the errand, with πήγα για να πάρω ψωμί, which spells out the intended action. The aspect choice after να is taught on για να for purpose.

Topic: what speech or thought is about

After verbs of speaking, writing, asking, worrying, or learning, για introduces the topic.

Μιλήσαμε για τη δουλειά, αλλά δεν πήραμε καμία απόφαση.

milísame ya ti dhuliá, alá dhen pírame kamía apófasi

We talked about work, but we didn't make any decision.

English sometimes uses no preposition after discuss, but Greek συζητάω για is normal when the topic is explicitly framed. Individual verbs still have to be learned with their own patterns; για is not a universal “topic marker” after every verb.

Duration: how long a bounded situation lasts

για + a time expression measures the intended or actual duration of a situation.

Θα μείνουμε στην Πάρο για μια βδομάδα.

tha mínume stin Páro ya mia vdhomádha

We'll stay on Paros for a week.

Contrast σε μια βδομάδα “in a week's time” with για μια βδομάδα “for one week.” The first locates an endpoint; the second measures the stretch.

Destination: setting out for somewhere

With departure verbs such as φεύγω and ξεκινάω, για presents a place as the intended destination of the journey.

Φεύγουμε για Αθήνα αύριο τα ξημερώματα.

févghume ya Athína ávrio ta ksimerómata

We're leaving for Athens at dawn tomorrow.

This is not a free substitute for σε. Πάω στην Αθήνα states the goal of πάω; φεύγω για Αθήνα views the trip from its point of departure and names where it is headed.

Το τρένο φεύγει για Αθήνα στις έξι, κι εγώ θα είμαι στον σταθμό από τις πέντε.

to tréno févyi ya Athína stis éksi, ki eghó tha íme ston stathmó apó tis pénde

The train leaves for Athens at six, and I'll be at the station from five onward.

Price, exchange, and viewpoint

With transfer verbs such as πουλάω and αγοράζω, για can mark what is received in exchange.

Το πούλησα για δέκα ευρώ, γιατί δεν το χρησιμοποιούσα.

to púlisa ya dhéka evró, yatí dhen to chrisimopiúsa

I sold it for ten euros because I wasn't using it.

💡

This use belongs to exchange, not measurement. Κοστίζει δέκα ευρώ has a bare price because cost directly states an amount.

At the beginning of a statement, για μένα / για εμάς establishes whose judgment is being expressed. It does not mean physical benefit there.

Για μένα, έχει δίκιο και πρέπει να τον ακούσουμε.

ya ména, échi dhíkio ke prépi na ton akúsume

In my view, he's right and we should listen to him.

γι' αυτό and two fixed time phrases

Γι' αυτό literally connects a result “for this,” but as a discourse connector it means “therefore / that's why.” It points back to an already stated reason.

Έβρεχε πολύ, γι' αυτό πήραμε ταξί.

évreche polí, yaftó pírame taksí

It was raining heavily, so we took a taxi.

Two further chunks are worth storing whole: για πάντα “forever” and για την ώρα “for now.”

Για την ώρα μένω εδώ, αλλά δεν θα μείνω για πάντα.

ya tin óra méno edhó, alá dhen tha míno ya pánda

For now I'm staying here, but I won't stay forever.

Common Mistakes

1. Leaving the article in the nominative after για. The preposition takes the accusative.

❌ Μιλήσαμε για ο καιρός.

Incorrect — use the accusative: για τον καιρό.

✅ Μιλήσαμε για τον καιρό.

milísame ya ton keró

We talked about the weather.

2. Using a subject pronoun after για. Prepositions require strong accusative forms.

❌ Αυτό είναι για εγώ.

Incorrect — use μένα / εμένα after για.

✅ Αυτό είναι για μένα.

aftó íne ya ména

This is for me.

3. Adding για after κοστίζω. Exchange can take για; a stated cost cannot.

❌ Το εισιτήριο κόστισε για δεκαπέντε ευρώ.

Incorrect — κοστίζω takes the amount directly.

✅ Το εισιτήριο κόστισε δεκαπέντε ευρώ.

to isitírio kóstise dhekapénde evró

The ticket cost fifteen euros.

Key Takeaways

για points toward an intended beneficiary, purpose, topic, destination, or exchange value.
Use για + noun for an errand and για να + verb for an explicit purpose action.
για μια βδομάδα measures duration; σε μια βδομάδα locates a future endpoint.
φεύγω για Αθήνα focuses on setting out; πάω στην Αθήνα simply states the goal.
Learn γι' αυτό, για πάντα and για την ώρα as fixed high-frequency units.

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