Spanish Grammar Bank
HOW TO SAY IN ORDER TO IN SPANISH
In order to in Spanish is expressed using various phrases, all used to indicate purpose, goal, or intent.
The choice between these structures will depend on context (formal vs informal) and the subject agreement between clauses (same or different subject).
THE PREPOSITION “PARA”
The use of the preposition para is the most common and versatile, as it is appropriate for both formal and informal contexts.
When the subject of the main clause and the subordinate clause is the same, the preposition para is usually followed by an infinitive. It is used to express purpose or intent.
PATTERN
Para + infinitive
| Voy a clase de música para aprender a tocar el piano. | I go to music class in order to learn to play the piano. |
| Me levanto temprano para aprovechar el día. | I wake up early in order to make the most of the day. |
View More Examples:
| Vamos a Alemania para pasar las Navidades. | We are going to Germany in order to spend Christmas. |
| Fuimos antes para coger un buen sitio. | We went ahead in order to get good seats. |
| Nos quedamos en casa para ver la película. | We stayed at home in order to watch the movie. |
| Ella estudió medicina para ser pediatra. | She studied medicine in order to be a pediatrician. |
USING “A FIN DE”
The phrase a fin de is a more formal way to express purpose and is frequently used in written language, official and technical documents, or formal speech.
It corresponds to the English expressions “in order to” or “for the purpose of.”
The phrase a fin de can follow either of these sentence structure, depending on whether the subject of the main clause is the same or different from the subject in the subordinate clause:
PATTERNS
a fin de + infinitive
when the subject of the main and the subordinate clauses is the same
a fin de que + subjunctive
when the subjects of the main and the subordinate clauses differ
| Él decidió volver a fin de solucionar el problema. | He decided to go back in order to solve the problem. |
| El laboratorio tuvo que repetir la prueba a fin de obtener resultados. | The laboratory had to repeat the test in order to obtain results. |
View More Examples:
| Cambié de trabajo a fin de tener un mejor sueldo. | I changed jobs in order to have a better salary. |
| Arreglé mi habitación a fin de que mi madre no se enfadara. | I cleaned up my room so that my mother wouldn’t get upset. |
| Hemos cambiado la hora de la fiesta a fin de que más gente venga. | We changed the time of the party so that more people could come. |
| Rectificamos el proyecto a fin de que mi jefe lo entienda mejor. | We rectified the project in order for my boss to understand it better. |
USING “AL OBJETO DE”
The expressions con el objeto de or al objeto de are formal phrases used to indicate a specific purpose or task at hand.
While less common in everyday conversation, they are more frequently used in legal, business, academic, and official contexts for added precision or fomality.
PATTERNS
con el objeto de / al objeto de + infinitive
when the subject of the main and the subordinate clauses is the same
con el objeto de que / al objeto de que + subjunctive
when the subjects of the main and the subordinate clauses differ
| Fui temprano con el objeto de que me atendieran antes. | I went early in order to be attended to sooner. |
| Hice un listado de tareas con el objeto de que fuera más organizado tu día | I made a task list in order for your day to be more organized. |
View More Examples:
| El gobierno creó puestos de trabajo al objeto de reducir el paro. | The government created job positions in order to reduce unemployment. |
| El Banco Central aumentó los tipos de interés con el objeto de bajar la inflación. | The Central Bank increased interest rates in order to reduce inflation. |
| El periódico regaló un mes de suscripción con el objeto de aumentar sus lectores. | The newspaper gave a free monthly subscription in order to increase its readers. |
| Llegaron a un acuerdo con el objeto de que los empleados vuelvan al trabajo. | They reached an agreement in order for the employees to go back to work. |
WITH “CON EL PROPOSITO DE”
The prepositional phrase con el propósito de is similar to con el objeto de, and the two are often used interchangeably.
However, the expression con el propósito de is:
- more neutral and less formal than con el objeto de; and
- often used to indicate broader and more abstract goals—akin to the English phrase “with the purpose of”
PATTERNS
con el propósito de + infinitive
when the subject of the main and the subordinate clauses is the same
con el propósito de que + subjunctive
when the subjects of the main and the subordinate clauses differ
| Escribió el libro con el propósito de dar información sobre tema. | He/She wrote the book in order to give information on the topic. |
| La asociación creó el proyecto con el propósito de mejorar la situación. | The association created the project in order to improve the situation. |
View More Examples:
| Comentaron el tema con el propósito de buscar soluciones. | They discussed the issue in order to find solutions. |
| La compañía dio incentivos con el propósito que los trabajadores se motivaran. | The company gave incentives in order for the employees to be more motivated. |
| La urbanización fue diseñada con el objeto de que los vecinos tengan muchas zonas verdes. | The subdivision was developed in order for the neighbors to have many green areas. |
| Se creó un comité con el propósito de que los expertos analizaran el tema. | A committee was created in order for the experts to analyze the subject. |
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FAQs
What is a common way to say “in order to”?
The most common and natural way is using para followed by an infinitive verb.
Example: Estudio para aprender. (“I study in order to learn.”)
What’s the difference between para and a fin de?
Both mean “in order to,” but a fin de is more formal or literary.
Para is used in everyday conversation, while a fin de might appear in academic or written contexts.
Can I use para que instead of para?
Yes, but para que is followed by a subjunctive verb and is used when the subject of the second verb is different.
Example: Trabajo para que mis hijos vivan bien. (“I work so that my children live well.”)
Is con el fin de the same as a fin de?
Yes, con el fin de also means “in order to” and is used to express purpose, usually in formal writing. It’s slightly longer but interchangeable with a fin de.
Can I use para with any verb?
Yes, as long as it is followed by an infinitive verb (the base form).
Incorrect: para aprendiendo ❌
Correct: para aprender ✅
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