Past Infinitive
The past infinitive is used to express something that has already happened.
Verbs such as s'excuser, regretter, and remercier are often used in
this tense. It is formed with the infinitive of the auxiliary verb
(avoir or être) and the past participle of the main verb. And
the past participle can have agreement as well, with either the subject or
the object, depending on the sentence. Whenever après is followed
by a verb, it is always a past infinitive. And note that negative
expressions precede an infinitive.
| Je vous remercie d'être venus. | I thank you for coming (or having come.) |
| Excusez-moi d'être arrivé(e) en retard. | Excuse me for arriving (or having arrived) late. |
| Après avoir fini mes études, je veux devenir professeur. | After finishing (or having finished) my studies, I want to become a teacher. |
| Elle regrette de ne pas avoir posé la question. | She regrets not asking (or having asked) the question. |
This article was used with permission from:
Indo-European Languages