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Netherlands flagWanda
How to best translate these sentences? As a huge exception, I'm posting my question in English, because I need some help translating these types of sentences. - Por + subject Example: "Por mí, pueden decir lo que quieran, no me importa." - Para + subject Example: "Para nosotros, cuanto más nieve, mejor." I'd translate the first one as "As far as I'm concerned, they can say whatever they want to, I don't care". And the second one as "As far as we're concerned, the more it snows the better". So what's the difference between these two constructions? I was thinking of maybe translating the first one as "I couldn't care less what they say.", instead of the other translation, but does that always work for sentences that have the "por + subject" construction?

Answers · 11

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La primera oracion es FOR ME, THEY CAN SAY WHATEVER THEY WANT TO, I DON'T CARE. La segunda oracion sería FOR US, THE MORE IT SNOWS, THE BETTER when we say POR MI, we intend to say IF IT IS BECAUSE OF ME... when we say PARA NOSOTROS, we are meaning TO US/FOR US, but never because of us. For further qustions, agenda una de mis clases. buen día
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Despite I'm a Spanish native, I find it difficult to answer your question. However, I'll try to give you an answer. Let's begins with the second sentence "Para + Subject" in the example you provided a "suitable" translation in that case will be "For us, the more it snows the better". And for the first one, the two translations are ok, but I'm not sure if you can apply for all the cases because it depends of the meaning and the way you say it (it can have differents interpretations) It's really hard for me to explain it because it's also hard sometimes to translate them into English.
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Muchas gracias Gerardo. Aprecio mucho tu ayuda. Entonces, si a veces se puede substituir uno por otro, ¿cuál es la diferencia entonces? Más que todo, quiero entender cuándo usar uno y cuándo otro.
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I think both translations are accurate, Wanda. The idea of not caring expressed with "por" or "para" can vary and at times can be substituted. I mean, "por mí" does not always mean "I don't care". -¿Por ti está bien si nos vemos el sábado? -Por mí, mejor el viernes. (It doesn't mean that I don't care.) Another possible answer can be: -Para mí es mejor el viernes. (With the same meaning.) "Por nosotros, no hay problema" = "Para nosostros da/es lo mismo". So, there is no rule here but you get the meaning perfectly in your translations, which is what matters. Kind regards,
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From what my teacher explained me, the "por mí" construction always conveys the element of not caring, which is why I was thinking about translating it as "I couldn't care less". So far I haven't been able to find any answers online. Thanks for trying to help Spangola.

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