How to Use the French Preposition Pour (For)

How to Use the French Preposition Pour (For) The French preposition pour  (pronounced poor) is one of the most common in the French language and one of the first that new students learn. The word usually means for, but it has a few other possible meanings as well.  Pour can be followed by a noun, pronoun, or infinitive, and as youll see, it can be used to express causation, intent, and motivation, among other relationships. This word also appears in a number of colloquialisms. Purpose / Intention   Jai achetà © un cadeau pour toi.   I bought you a gift.  Il la fait pour nous aider.   He did it (in order) to help us. Duration of future event In this case, pour functions as a  temporal preposition.   Je vais y habiter pour un an.   Im going to live there for a year.  Il parlera pour une heure.   He will speak for an hour. In favor of   Il est pour la peine de la mort.   He is in favor of the death penalty.  Jai votà © pour Macron.   I voted for Macron. Direction   Il est parti pour Ottawa.   He left for Ottawa.  Voici le train pour Rouen.   Heres the train to Rouen. Point of view   Pour nous, cest une bonne idà ©e.   For us, its a good idea.  Il est tout pour moi.   He is everything to me. Cause / Reason   Jai à ©tà © puni pour avoir volà ©.   I was punished for stealing.  Ce magasin est fermà © pour rà ©parations.   This store is closed for repairs. In place of / In exchange for   Il doit signer pour moi.   He has to sign for me.  Tu me dois 4 euros pour le cafà ©.   You owe me 4 euros for the coffee. Comparison / Relationship   Un pour cent   One per hundred (one percent)  Il fait chaud pour lautomne.   Its hot for the fall. Description   Je suis assez fatiguà © pour dormir par terre.   Im tired enough to sleep on the floor.  Il est trop avare pour nous aider.   Hes too stingy to help us. Expressions Sa bonne constitution y est pour quelque chose.   His strong constitution had something to do with  ou  played a part in it.Elle est pour beaucoup dans le succà ¨s de la pià ¨ce.   The success of the play is to a large  extent due to her. /  She has had a great deal to do with the success of the play.Ne me remerciez pas, je ny suis pour rien.   Dont thank me; I didnt have anything to do with it.Cest fait pour. Thats what its (there) for.à ªtre pour  Ã‚  to be in favourJe suis pour quon sy mette tout de suite.  Ã‚  Im in favour of getting down to it immediately.pour de bon for good, reallypour ce faire for that purpose, to that endavoir pour but aimpour ainsi dire as it werepour lessential mainly, basically An acceptable antonym would be  contre  (against).  Pour que  is an offshoot, a conjunction meaning, so that or in order to.