An infinitive that looks backwards
Instead of Dopo che ho mangiato, sono uscito, Italian often says Dopo aver mangiato, sono uscito. The subordinate clause shrinks to two words and sounds perfectly ordinary. This is the infinito passato: an infinitive that names a completed action, not “to eat” but “to have eaten”. English after having eaten is the same idea; but where English says after eating with -ing, Italian never uses the gerundio after a preposition: dopo mangiando does not exist.
With avere the -e usually drops: aver mangiato. The full form avere mangiato is also correct, but more bookish.
This is what it sounds like
Dopo aver mangiato, siamo andati a fare due passi.
After eating, we went for a short walk.
Dopo aver letto il contratto, ho firmato.
After reading the contract, I signed.
Mi dispiace di non averti risposto prima.
I'm sorry for not answering you sooner.
Pronouns attach to the auxiliary and are written as one word: averti risposto, averlo incontrato, essersi trasferiti. The negation goes before the auxiliary, as in for not having understood: per non aver capito, not per aver non capito.
Agreement with essere
An English participle never changes, but with essere as the auxiliary the Italian participle agrees with the person acting in the main clause. With avere the ending stays -o, whoever acts.
arrivare — to arrive
| Who acts | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a man | essere arrivato | Dopo essere arrivato, Marco ha chiamato. |
| a woman | essere arrivata | Dopo essere arrivata, Anna ha chiamato. |
| a mixed group | essere arrivati | Dopo essere arrivati, hanno chiamato. |
| several women | essere arrivate | Dopo essere arrivate, le ragazze hanno chiamato. |
The participle follows the person acting.
Agreement in a sentence
Dopo essere tornata dal lavoro, Giulia si è messa a cucinare.
After coming home from work, Giulia started cooking.
Dopo essere usciti dal cinema, abbiamo preso un gelato.
After leaving the cinema, we got an ice cream.
The condition: the same person
The infinito passato has no subject of its own; it borrows the one from the main clause. The same person first does one thing, then the other. If two different people act, you need a clause with dopo che. English tolerates a mismatch in speech, Italian does not.
Dopo aver cenato, sono uscito.
After having dinner, I went out. (I eat, I go out)
Dopo che lui ha cenato, sono uscito.
After he had had dinner, I went out. (he eats, I go out)
Where the infinito passato appears
Most often after dopo, per, senza and after expressions of feeling with di. Each of them is an English -ing clause in disguise.
Four environments
after
After dopo comes the past infinitive, not the plain one. English after finishing hides the anteriority; Italian spells it out.
Dopo aver finito il turno, passo da te.
After finishing my shift, I'll drop by your place.
for
per plus the past infinitive gives a reason in hindsight, often blame or praise: English for having done or simply for doing.
È stato multato per aver parcheggiato in divieto.
He was fined for parking in a no-parking zone.
negative
senza plus the past infinitive says what did not happen first: without having read.
Ha firmato senza aver letto le condizioni.
He signed without having read the terms.
glad, sorry, sure
After sono contento di, mi dispiace di, sono sicuro di, when the feeling is about something in the past. English usually turns this into a that clause; Italian keeps the infinitive.
Sono contenta di aver cambiato lavoro.
I'm glad I changed jobs.
