Por la noche, cierro la ventana para no tener frío.

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Breakdown of Por la noche, cierro la ventana para no tener frío.

• tener: to have
• la noche: the night
• la ventana: the window
• cerrar: to close
• el frío: the cold

Questions & Answers about Por la noche, cierro la ventana para no tener frío.

Why do we say "Por la noche" instead of "En la noche"?

In Spanish, por la noche is the common expression meaning "at night" or "during the night." While en la noche can sometimes be heard, it’s less common in everyday language. The preposition por in expressions of time like por la noche, por la mañana, por la tarde is a set phrase indicating a general time frame.

Why do we use "cierro" (1st person) in the sentence?

Cierro is simply the first-person singular present tense form of cerrar (to close). It translates to "I close." Since the speaker is referring to their own action, they use cierro.

Why do we say "tener frío" instead of "estar frío"?

In Spanish, when talking about feeling cold, speakers use tener frío (literally "to have cold"). This differs from English, which uses "I am cold." Estar frío usually means that an object or place is cold to the touch, rather than describing a person’s feeling.

Is "para" always used before an infinitive to express "in order to"?

Yes, when you want to say "in order to" or "for the purpose of" in Spanish, you typically use para + infinitive. In the sentence, para no tener frío literally means "in order not to be cold." This construction communicates the purpose or reason behind the action.

Can I change "para no tener frío" to another similar phrase?

A common alternative is para no pasar frío, which also means "so that I don’t feel cold." You might also hear para no coger frío, though that one can imply avoiding catching a chill. But para no tener frío is perfectly natural and straightforward in everyday Spanish.