prima di / dopo + Infinitive
'Prima Di' / 'Dopo' + Infinitive
Prima di (before) and Dopo (after) are used with infinitives to link two actions performed by the same person. Prima di uses the simple infinitive, while dopo requires the past infinitive.
How It Works
In Italian, expressing 'before' and 'after' with verbs requires specific structures depending on whether the subject remains the same.
1. Prima di + Present Infinitive
To say 'before doing something,' use prima di followed by the present infinitive. Note that prima always requires the preposition di in this construction.
Example: Prima di uscire, prendo le chiavi (Before going out, I take the keys).
2. Dopo + Past Infinitive
Unlike English, which uses the gerund ('after eating'), Italian requires the past infinitive after dopo. Crucially, dopo is used directly with the infinitive and does not take the preposition di.
Example: Dopo aver mangiato, ho dormito (After having eaten, I slept).
3. Auxiliary Truncation and Omission
In these constructions, the auxiliaries avere and essere are frequently truncated to aver and esser for better flow (e.g., dopo aver finito). In casual speech, the auxiliary is often omitted entirely, leaving just the past participle (e.g., Dopo mangiato, andiamo). Additionally, if the auxiliary is essere, the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject.
Example: Dopo esser andata al cinema, Maria è tornata a casa.
4. Subject Consistency
If the subjects of the two actions are different, you normally avoid this infinitive pattern. You must use prima che + subjunctive or dopo che + indicative.
Examples (5)
- Dobbiamo lavarci le mani prima di mangiare.
We must wash our hands before eating.
Word by Word: We must wash-ourselves the hands before of to eat.
Uses 'prima di' + present infinitive because the subject (we) is the same for both washing and eating.
- Dopo aver finito i compiti, Marco è andato al parco.
After finishing his homework, Marco went to the park.
Word by Word: After to have finished the homeworks, Marco is gone to the park.
Uses 'dopo' + past infinitive (aver finito) to show the homework was completed first.
- Ti chiamerò prima di partire per Roma.
I will call you before leaving for Rome.
Word by Word: To you I will call before of to leave for Rome.
A standard future sequence where the speaker is the subject of both calling and leaving.
- Dopo essere tornata a casa, Maria ha fatto una doccia.
After returning home, Maria took a shower.
Word by Word: After to be returned to home, Maria has made a shower.
Since 'tornare' takes 'essere', the past infinitive uses 'essere' and agrees in gender with Maria (tornata).
- Leggi bene il contratto prima di firmare.
Read the contract well before signing.
Word by Word: Read well the contract before of to sign.
An imperative use where the 'you' subject is consistent across both actions.
Common Mistakes
Using 'dopo' with a present infinitive.
Dopo mangiare, guardo la TV.Dopo aver mangiato, guardo la TV.In Italian, 'dopo' must be followed by the past infinitive (aver mangiato) to indicate the action is completed. Using the present infinitive is a common error for English speakers.
Using the gerund after 'dopo' or 'prima di'.
Dopo mangiando, sono uscito.Dopo aver mangiato, sono uscito.English uses '-ing' (After eating), but Italian prepositions like 'dopo' and 'prima di' never take the gerund. They always take the infinitive.
Using the infinitive when subjects are different.
Prima di uscire tu, io preparo la cena.Prima che tu esca, io preparo la cena.When the subjects of the two clauses are different, standard Italian uses 'prima che' followed by the subjunctive. 'Prima di' + infinitive is normally kept for the same subject.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn this pattern, you first need to be comfortable with the Italian infinitive. Specifically, you must understand the difference between the simple infinitive (partire) used with 'prima di' and the past infinitive (essere partito / aver mangiato) which is mandatory after 'dopo'. Knowledge of simple prepositions is also required to correctly form the 'prima di' construction.
- Verb + Infinitive
Understanding how verbs function in their base infinitive form is essential since both 'prima di' and 'dopo' are followed by infinitives.
Level 1 - Past Infinitive
The pattern 'dopo' specifically requires the use of the past infinitive (e.g., dopo aver mangiato), making this form a direct component of the structure.
Level 3 - Simple Prepositions
The pattern relies on the use of the simple preposition 'di' to link 'prima' to the following verb.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- prima che + SubjunctiveSubjunctive with 'Prima Che' (Before)
This is the alternative construction used when the subjects of the two clauses are different.
Level 4 - Regular Gerund Formation
Learners often confuse the Italian infinitive with the English gerund (-ing) used in these time expressions.
Level 1 - senza + Infinitive'Senza' + Infinitive
Another common pattern where a preposition (senza) is followed directly by an infinitive for the same subject.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Sources
Practice prima di / dopo + Infinitive in Bubblegum
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