Question 1

Why do we use para instead of por before mañana?

Accepted Answer

In this sentence, para is used to show a deadline. Whenever a task is due "for" or "by" a certain time or day in the future, you must use para.

Question 2

I thought prepara was the "he/she" form. Why is it used here to say "you prepare"?

Accepted Answer

Here, prepara is being used as a command. When you tell a person you are on a first-name basis with (tú) to do something, you use the informal command form. This form happens to look exactly like the "he/she" present tense form.

Question 3

Could I say hasta mañana instead of para mañana?

Accepted Answer

Not in this case. Hasta mañana means "until tomorrow." If you are talking about a deadline and want to say a task is due "for tomorrow," you need the preposition para.

Question 4

This sentence uses both para and por. How do I know which one to use?

Accepted Answer

You already know para sets the deadline for mañana. Por favor is simply a fixed expression meaning "please." While choosing between por and para can be tricky in other situations, common phrases like por favor always use por and are best memorized as set chunks of vocabulary.

Prepara la presentación para mañana, por favor.

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