Antes de/Después de followed by haber + participle in Spanish

Note that this is a Europe focused lesson. Your active focus is Latin America.

Sometimes we talk about actions that we do before or after doing or having done something. For this we use antes de and después de in Spanish.

Learn how to say before and after doing something in Spanish

To say "before/after doing something" we use:

Antes dedespués de +  Infinitivo (not gerund)

For example: "Leo antes de acostarme", "Después de cenar no tomo café." See Using antes de /después de [noun/infinitive] for before/after [something/doing something] to revise this.

Learn how to say before and after "having done" something in Spanish

If you want to express "before/after having done something", then you need El Infinitivo Compuesto.

Antes de/ Después de + El Infinitivo Compuesto (= haber + participle)

Important

Using El Infinitivo Compuesto  emphasises the completion of the action of the main verb in the past. For example: "Antes de desayunar" does not emphasise the completion of the action of having breakfast: desayunar. Compare this to "Antes de haber desayunado". Here there is an emphasis on the action of having breakfast being completed: haber desayunado.)

Here are some examples:

Hizo su examen antes de haber repasado.He did his exam before having revised.[US: studied]

Compré el primer vestido que había visto, después de haber mirado en varias tiendas.I bought the first dress I had seen, after having looked in different shops.

Después de  haber quitado todas las malas hierbas del jardín, empecé a plantar.After having cleared the garden of all the weeds, I set about planting.

Deberías haberme consultado antes de haber llamado a sus padres.You should have consulted me before calling his parents. [lit: before having called]

Después de haberte ido tú, llegaron los demás.After you had left, the others arrived. [lit: after having gone]

Notice how:

  • Sometimes pronouns are attached to "haber", e.g "haberte ido". Pronouns must always be attached to haber, not the participle nor placed in front, nor in between the two. For example none of these constructions are possible: "Después de te haber ido."/"Después de haber te ido."/ Después de haber ido te."
  • The equivalent in English isn't always a literal translation, so you may find it is expressed differently in English. For example: "Después de haberte ido" = After you had left.

 See also Using antes de que/después de que with indicative or subjunctive in Spanish (subordinate time clauses) (Spain) and  Using antes de /después de [noun/infinitive] for before/after [something/doing something]

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Examples and resources

Compré el primer vestido que había visto, después de haber mirado en varias tiendas.I bought the first dress I had seen, after having looked in different shops.
Después de  haber quitado todas las malas hierbas del jardín, empecé a plantar.After having cleared the garden of all the weeds, I set about planting.
Deberías haberme consultado antes de haber llamado a sus padres.You should have consulted me before calling his parents. [lit: before having called]
Después de haberte ido tú, llegaron los demás.After you had left, the others arrived. [lit: after having gone]
Hizo su examen antes de haber repasado.He did his exam before having revised.[US: studied]
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