Breakdown of Ella siempre busca un atajo por no trabajar.
ella
she / her (after a preposition)
un
a, an, some
no
no / not
trabajar
to work
siempre
always
buscar
to look for
por
for / by / through / in (during a part of the day)
el atajo
the shortcut
Questions & Answers about Ella siempre busca un atajo por no trabajar.
Why do we use por instead of para here when the English translation says 'to avoid'?
It is a special use of por plus an infinitive. While para usually shows purpose (in order to), por expresses the motive or cause behind an action. In Spain, por no plus an infinitive is a very common and natural way to say 'out of a desire to avoid doing something'.
Can I use para no trabajar in this sentence instead?
Where does the negative word no go when using prepositions with infinitives?
When negating an infinitive after a preposition like por or para, the no always goes directly between the preposition and the infinitive verb, exactly as seen in por no trabajar.
Why isn't there a preposition right after busca, like busca por un atajo?
In Spanish, the verb buscar translates to the entire phrase 'to look for'. The 'for' is already built into the verb's meaning, so adding an extra preposition after it is a common trap for English speakers.
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