for
- 01 A1 Beginner
prep.used to show who is intended to have or use something.
prep.indicating the intended recipient or beneficiary of an object or action.
Simple“I bought a small gift for my sister's birthday.”
In context“The architect designed the community centre specifically for the elderly residents who had lived in the neighbourhood for decades.”
Synonyms - 02 A1 Beginner
prep.used to show how long something lasts.
prep.indicating the duration or extent of a period of time.
Simple“We waited at the station for two hours before the train arrived.”
In context“The researchers monitored the volcanic activity for several months before concluding that an eruption was no longer imminent.”
PitfallI have lived here since five years. I have lived here for five years.Use 'for' to talk about a period of time (five years); use 'since' to talk about a starting point (2019).
Synonyms - 03 A1 Beginner
prep.used to show the reason or purpose for an action.
prep.indicating the purpose, goal, or reason for an activity or state.
Simple“She went to the shop for some milk and bread.”
In context“The delegation travelled to Geneva for the international climate summit to present their findings on rising sea levels.”
Synonyms - 04 A2 Elementary
- 05 A2 Elementary
prep.used to show the price or what you give to get something.
prep.indicating equivalence, exchange, or price in a transaction.
Simple“I sold my old car for three thousand dollars.”
In context“The collector was willing to trade several rare stamps for a single first-edition manuscript from the nineteenth century.”
Synonymsin exchange for - 06 B1 Intermediate
prep.used to show that you support or agree with an idea.
prep.indicating support, favour, or advocacy for a person, group, or cause.
Simple“Are you for or against the new plan to build a park?”
In context“The majority of the council members voted for the proposal, citing the long-term economic benefits for the local community.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 07 B2 Upper Intermediate
prep.used to compare someone or something to what is normal for that type.
prep.indicating a standard of comparison or a relative expectation.
Simple“He is very tall for a ten-year-old boy.”
In context“The winter has been remarkably mild for this region, with temperatures rarely dropping below freezing even at night.”
Synonyms - 08 C1 Advanced
conj.a formal way to say 'because'.
conj.used as a coordinating conjunction to introduce a reason or explanation.
Simple“We must leave now, for the sun is setting.”
In context“The king grew anxious, for he knew that his enemies were gathering strength beyond the northern borders.”
UsageAlways preceded by a comma when connecting two independent clauses.
for vs during — During marks the point in time when an event occurs; for measures the total length of time that event lasts.
for vs since — Since marks the specific starting point of an action, while for measures the total duration of the period.
Usage account for · available for · desire for
For Spanish speakers Spanish uses the preposition 'por' for both duration and cause, but learners often incorrectly use 'during' for duration where 'for' is required. Additionally, when expressing purpose, Spanish uses the preposition 'para' followed by an infinitive, which leads learners to produce 'for to do' instead of the correct 'to do' or 'for doing'.
Learners often say 'for a long time' correctly but mirror the Spanish 'por fin' by saying 'for finally' instead of the correct adverb 'finally' or the phrase 'at last'.
For Mandarin speakers Mandarin uses the preposition 给 (gěi) to indicate a recipient and 为了 (wèile) to indicate purpose, but both translate to 'for', causing learners to use 'for' where the infinitive 'to' is required in purpose clauses, such as 'I come here for see you' instead of 'to see you'.
In Mandarin, the duration of an action is often placed directly after the verb without a preposition (e.g., 我住了三天 Wǒ zhùle sān tiān). This leads to the omission of 'for' in English sentences, resulting in 'I stayed there three days' instead of 'for three days'.
For Japanese speakers The Japanese phonology lacks the labiodental /f/, substituting the voiceless bilabial fricative /ɸ/. Consequently, 'for' is typically produced as /ɸoː/ (ho), often resulting in a lack of distinction from 'whore' or the Japanese syllable 'ho'.
Japanese marks duration with the particle 間 (kan) following a noun, or simply uses the bare noun as an adverbial. Because this particle is optional, learners frequently omit 'for' in time expressions, producing 'I studied three hours' (3時間勉強した - sanjikan benkyō shita) instead of 'for three hours'.
The Japanese verb 探す (sagasu) is transitive and takes the particle を (o), leading to the omission of the preposition in the collocation 'search for'. This produces 'search the key' rather than 'search for the key'.
For French speakers French lacks the dental fricative /ð/; speakers often replace it with /z/ or /d/. However, for the word 'for', the primary difficulty is the rhotic /r/ at the end, which French speakers often produce as a uvular /ʁ/.
French uses 'pendant' or 'depuis' for durations where English uses 'for'. Learners often incorrectly transfer 'depuis' with a present tense verb (e.g., *'I am here for two hours'*) instead of using the present perfect.
The French structure 'chercher [quelque chose]' leads learners to omit the preposition, resulting in 'I am searching my keys' instead of the correct 'searching for'.