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Learn how to express before/after something in Spanish
In Spanish, to express before or after [something/doing something] we use the prepositional phrases: antes de and después de.
Antes de + noun
Voy a ducharme antes de la cena.I am going to have a shower before dinner.
Después de/Luego de+ noun
In Latin America después de and luego de are synonyms, although luego de tends to be slightly more formal.
Después de la fiesta llamamos a un taxi.After the party we will call a taxi.
Luego de la fiesta llamamos a un taxi.After the party we will call a taxi.
Notice in the examples above how after the preposition de the noun is preceded by its article.
- antes de la cena
- después de la fiesta
Contraction del
Remember that if the noun is masculine you will find the contraction del:
Antes del partido bebimos demasiadas cervezas.Before the match we drank too many beers.
Antes de + infinitive
Fui a su casa antes de ir al gimnasio.I went to her house before going to the gym.
Después de/luego de + infinitive
Después de cocinar quiero ver la televisión.After cooking I want to watch TV.
Luego de comer en el parque fuimos a pasear.After eating in the park we went for a walk.
Notice that in Spanish the verb after the preposition de is in the infinitive (-ar/-er/ir form) whilst in English it is a gerund (-ing form)
See also:
- Using antes de que/después de que with indicative or subjunctive in Spanish (subordinate time clauses) (Spain)
- Antes de/Después de followed by haber + participle in Spanish
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