apres

peter b.C1Kwiziq community member

apres

I will do this after I wash my hands. Will do is future, wash is present why do I need to use the past tense for wash. The sentence I am setting up future after present tense and the present tense is "past" relative to the future tense
Asked 6 years ago
Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Hi peter,

What can I say, in French people think differently when it comes to tenses. The English correspondence (though not entirely correct) would be: 

I'll do this after having washed my hands. -- Je ferai ça après avoir lavé les mains. 

Aprés usually asks for some kind of past tense when using it with a verb. 

-- Chris (not a native speaker).

Stephanie S.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Just curious, shouldn't it be "Je ferai ça après m'être lavé(e) les mains"? I didn't see any examples using reflexive verbs but that's what I would think.

apres

I will do this after I wash my hands. Will do is future, wash is present why do I need to use the past tense for wash. The sentence I am setting up future after present tense and the present tense is "past" relative to the future tense

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