3

My boss has asked me to prepare a report for him. And he needs to present it during a meeting with his superiors on Monday. But I can't turn it in ON Monday because that's when his meeting is and obviously he needs some time to review it for himself before finally presenting it. So he tells me this:

I need this report by Friday for (the meeting on) Monday.

Now if I had to say this in Spanish, both by and for translate as para which makes the sentence sound like this:

Necesito este informe para el viernes para el lunes.

Is there a more natural and less ambiguous way to say this? What would a native speaker do when they encounter a sentence with para being used in two different meanings within the same context?

1 Answer 1

5

Since you understand the use of the "para" preposition,

  1. Indicar el lugar o tiempo a que se difiere o determina el ejecutar algo o finalizarlo ("para el viernes")
  2. Determinar el uso que conviene o puede darse a algo ("para [la reunión] del lunes")

I'll get to the point and suggest a possible solution. The preposition "de" can sometimes be used instead of "para" to indicate intended use:

Ropa de abrigo --> Ropa para abrigarse

Mesilla de noche --> Mesilla para (usar durante) la noche

Traje de boda --> Traje para ir a una boda

Ese es el cuchillo de queso --> Ese es el cuchillo para cortar queso

So you could change the "para" used to express intended use ("para la reunión") to "de":

Necesito el informe del lunes para el viernes

Once you have done that you could also omit the "para" that is used to indicate the time when you need the report ("para el viernes") using a demonstrative:

Necesito este viernes el informe del lunes

Necesito ese viernes el informe del lunes

or an adjective (a comparative for the position of "viernes" in reference to "lunes"):

Necesitaré el viernes anterior el informe del lunes

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.