# pro a za - when to use which one?



## OzziBoy

Ahoj,

I'm having some difficulty understanding where to use *za* and where to use *pro*. I believe the following are correct/incorrect, but I don't know why.

Děkuji pro tvuj email. 
Děkuji, za tvuj email. 

To je pro tebe. 
To je za tebe. 

Děkuji,
Oz.


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## ilocas2

Hi

Yes, you have it right.

Děkuji za tvůj e-mail.

To je pro tebe.

When you give something to somebody, you use "pro".

In the first case it's just as it is - Děkovat za - In my opinion, there's no explaination. It's the same in English - there's no explanation why some verbs require some prepositions.


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## werrr

OzziBoy said:


> I'm having some difficulty understanding where to use *za* and where to use *pro*.


I suppose you have problem with translation of English _for_ like many other English natives, so I will ignore the other meanings of *pro* and *za*.

The preposition *za* is almost always related to some idea of inversion, that is either to some exchange or to some opposite side.

*Za* is used for exchange in very broad sense, that is for all the meanings like:
_in exchange of
instead of
in place of
as a substitute of
on behalf of
in response to
in revenge to
as a reward
..._​Very important is also the meaning _worth of_ related to the mere idea of potential exchange.

The idea of the opposite side is used mostly in spatial meanings (English: _behind, beyond, back, over..._) unrelated to English _for_. But there are also some derivative and figurative meanings along the line of _backing something_ which could eventually lead to English _for_.


*Pro* is used mostly to denote recipient or result of some action. It is used as answer to question *proč?* (why?) and in meanings opposite to _proti_ (=against; pro a proti = for and against, pros and cons). 
The last meaning is possibly the only case where the meanings of *za* and *pro* may coincide. Czech, unlike Slovak, prefers *pro* for this meaning.



> I believe the following are correct/incorrect, but I don't know why.


The confusion of *pro* and *za* rarely leads to some ungrammatical sentence, rather it changes meaning completelly.



> Děkuji pro tvůj email.


Very uncommon use of *pro*, but it is actually gramatically correct.
It means "_I thank because of your email_" (answer to "_why?_").



> Děkuji[,] za tvůj email.


I thank you for (in response to) your email.



> To je pro tebe.


This is for you. (~ You are the recipent of this.)



> To je za tebe.


This is for you. (This is in exchange of you. This is instead of you. This is in revenge to the things done to you....)


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## OzziBoy

Thank you very much for the explanation. To check I understand the usage ...

That is enough for me. Je to pro mě dost.
I'm here for 1 more hour. Jsem zde pro 1 další hodinu.
The biscuits are for him. Sušenky jsou pro něj

It's $6 for one box. Je to $6 za jeden box.
You have 1 hour for lunch. Máte hodinu za oběd.

Thanks,
Oz


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## winpoj

That is enough for me. Je to pro mě dost. This is not wrong, but in most contexts we would actually say: "To mi stačí."

I'm here for 1 more hour. Jsem zde pro 1 další hodinu. "Budu tady ještě hodinu." (no preposition)

The biscuits are for him. Sušenky jsou pro něj. OK

It's $6 for one box. Je to $6 za jeden box. This does not sound quite right, I'd probably say: "Jedna krabice stojí šest dolarů". or "Dělá to šest dolarů za krabici."

You have 1 hour for lunch. Máte hodinu za oběd. "Máte hodinu *na* oběd."


And there are even more way of translating "for":

For example: What do we have for lunch today? "Co máme dnes *k *obědu."


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## OzziBoy

Thank you very much. I'll keep practicing!


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## zajimavy

Děkuji vám, Já také


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