antes de / despois de + Infinitive
Before and After + Infinitive
Antes de (before) and despois de (after) are followed by an infinitive, as in Antes de saír, pecha a porta (Close the door before you go out) and Despois de comer, durmo a sesta (After lunch I take a nap).
How It Works
Same subject: use the plain infinitive: Lavo as mans antes de comer (I wash my hands before eating).
Different subject: Galician can add person endings to the infinitive: Chámame antes de saíres (Call me before you leave), Despois de rematarmos, fomos tomar algo (After we finished, we went for a drink). See the personal infinitive.
Antes de que + subjunctive: a full clause after antes de takes que and the subjunctive: Vaite antes de que chova (Go before it rains).
Logo de: logo de + infinitive also means "after": Logo de comer, saímos (After eating, we went out).
With a noun: the same prepositions work with nouns, and de contracts with the article: antes da cea (before dinner), despois das clases (after classes). See contractions of de.
With a pronoun: the pronoun usually joins the infinitive: antes de facelo (before doing it). It can also go in front of the infinitive: antes de o facer. See pronouns before an infinitive.
On their own: antes and despois are also adverbs: Despois falamos (We will talk later). Note the Galician spelling despois, not Spanish después.
Examples (6)
- Antes de saír, pecha a porta.
Close the door before you go out.
Word by Word: Before of go-out, close the door.
- Despois de comer, durmo a sesta.
After lunch, I take a nap.
Word by Word: After of eat, sleep-I the nap.
- Lava as mans antes de comer.
Wash your hands before eating.
Word by Word: Wash the hands before of eat.
- Chámame antes de saíres da casa.
Call me before you leave home.
Word by Word: Call-me before of leave-you of-the house.
Saíres is the personal infinitive for ti, because the one leaving is "you".
- Despois de rematarmos o traballo, fomos tomar algo.
After we finished work, we went for a drink.
Word by Word: After of finish-we the work, went-we take something.
Rematarmos is the personal infinitive for nós.
- Antes de facelo, pénsao ben.
Think it over before you do it.
Word by Word: Before of do-it, think-it well.
The pronoun joins the infinitive: facer + o = facelo.
Common Mistakes
Using the Spanish form después.
Después de comer, durmo a sesta.Despois de comer, durmo a sesta.The Galician word is despois.
Putting a conjugated verb straight after the preposition.
Despois de comemos, saímos.Despois de comer, saímos.A preposition needs an infinitive. If you want to mark the subject, use the personal infinitive: despois de comermos.
Leaving out de.
Antes saír, pecha a porta.Antes de saír, pecha a porta.Before an infinitive or a noun, antes and despois need de.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before and after phrases can introduce an infinitive action.
Related Patterns
- The Personal Infinitive
The personal infinitive marks who does the action after antes de and despois de.
Level 3 - ao + InfinitiveUpon Doing: Ao + Infinitive
Another preposition + infinitive pattern, meaning "when" or "upon doing".
Level 4 - candoWhen: Cando
A full clause with cando is another way to place one action in time relative to another.
Level 2 - Present Subjunctive of Regular Verbs
Antes de que is followed by the subjunctive.
Level 3 - Pronoun Before an Infinitive After a Preposition
Explains the other standard order, antes de o facer.
Level 5 - de + o = doContractions of De with the Article
De contracts with a following article: antes da cea, despois do traballo.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice antes de / despois de + Infinitive in Bubblegum
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