French grammar · Advanced
Après Que in French: Why It Takes the Indicative, Not the Subjunctive
Après que introduces something that has actually happened, so it takes the indicative, not the subjunctive: après qu'il est parti, not après qu'il soit parti. The tense inside the clause has to be one step earlier than the main verb, which is why you often need the passé composé or the futur antérieur there.
Après qu'il est parti, nous avons fermé la maison.
After he left, we locked up the house.
What it is
The subjunctive in French marks something that is wanted, feared, doubted, or still to come. By the time you say après que, the event in that clause has already taken place from the point of view of the main verb, so there is nothing left to doubt. Grammar follows meaning, and the verb goes in the indicative.
Après que la pluie a cessé, les enfants sont sortis. — After the rain stopped, the children went outside.
How to spot it
Two things have to be decided: the mood, which is always the indicative, and the tense, which has to place the après que event before the main event.
- Après qu'elle a téléphoné, il a rappelé sa mère. — After she called, he rang his mother back.
- Après que tu auras fini, on pourra partir. — Once you've finished, we'll be able to leave.
- Après qu'on a mangé, on fait toujours une promenade. — After we eat, we always go for a walk.
- Après qu'il eut signé, la salle applaudit. — After he had signed, the room applauded.
When both verbs share a subject, most writers avoid the question entirely by using après plus the past infinitive: après avoir signé, il est sorti.
Après Que + Indicative Quick Reference
Which tense goes in the après que clause
| Main clause | Après que clause | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Passé composé | passé composé | Après qu'il est arrivé, nous avons commencé. |
| Present (a habit) | passé composé or present | Après qu'il a déjeuné, il fait la sieste. |
| Future | futur antérieur | Après que tu auras terminé, on sortira. |
| Imperfect | plus-que-parfait | Après qu'elle avait fini, elle rangeait tout. |
| Passé simple (literary) | passé antérieur | Après qu'il eut refermé la porte, le silence retomba. |
| Same subject in both | après + past infinitive | Après avoir déjeuné, il a fait la sieste. |
| Compare: avant que | subjunctive | Avant qu'il parte, préviens-moi. |
Common Après Que + Indicative Examples in French
Après que across the situations you are most likely to write:
Reporting the Past
- Après que le train est parti, elle s'est mise à pleurer.
- After the train left, she started to cry.
- Après que nous avons signé le bail, tout est allé vite.
- After we signed the lease, everything moved quickly.
- Après qu'ils ont vendu la maison, ils ont déménagé à Rennes.
- After they sold the house, they moved to Rennes.
- Après que l'orage a éclaté, la route est devenue impraticable.
- After the storm broke, the road became impassable.
Both verbs are in the passé composé here, and the conjunction alone establishes which happened first.
Looking Ahead
- Après que tu auras rendu ton devoir, tu seras plus tranquille.
- Once you've handed in your assignment, you'll feel calmer.
- Après qu'ils auront déménagé, on repeindra l'appartement.
- After they've moved out, we'll repaint the flat.
- Je t'appellerai après que la réunion sera terminée.
- I'll call you after the meeting has finished.
- Après que le contrat aura été signé, nous publierons la nouvelle.
- Once the contract has been signed, we'll announce the news.
French insists on the futur antérieur where English is happy with a present perfect: once you have finished becomes quand tu auras fini.
Habits and General Truths
- Après qu'il a fini de manger, il débarrasse la table.
- After he finishes eating, he clears the table.
- Après que la cloche a sonné, les élèves rentrent en classe.
- After the bell rings, the pupils go back to class.
- Après qu'on a passé la frontière, le paysage change.
- After you cross the border, the landscape changes.
- Après que le soleil s'est couché, la température chute.
- After the sun sets, the temperature drops.
The main verb is in the present, and the passé composé in the subordinate clause marks the step that comes first each time.
The Past Infinitive Route
- Après avoir relu sa lettre, il l'a envoyée.
- After rereading his letter, he sent it.
- Après être rentrée, elle a allumé toutes les lampes.
- After coming home, she turned on all the lamps.
- Après s'être excusés, ils sont repartis.
- After apologising, they left again.
- Après avoir hésité longtemps, nous avons accepté.
- After hesitating for a long time, we accepted.
This only works when the two verbs share a subject, and the participle still agrees when the auxiliary is être.
How Après Que Works
The mood question has one answer; the tense question has several, and they all follow from the same idea of anteriority.
The Indicative, Because It Happened
The subjunctive covers events that exist only in someone's wish, fear, or expectation. An event introduced by après que is a completed fact by the time the main clause happens, so it has no place in the subjunctive.
Après que le médecin est passé, il s'est senti mieux.
After the doctor came by, he felt better.
It happened → indicative.
The Clause Verb Comes One Step Earlier
Whatever tense the main verb is in, the après que verb has to be the compound tense built on it: passé composé under a passé composé or a present, plus-que-parfait under an imperfect, futur antérieur under a future.
Après qu'elle avait relu ses notes, elle se sentait prête.
After she had reread her notes, she felt ready.
Compound tense inside the clause.
Future Main Clause, Futur Antérieur Inside
This is where English speakers go wrong most often, because English uses a present or a present perfect in the same slot. French marks the future on both verbs, so once you have finished becomes après que tu auras fini.
Après que nous aurons visité le musée, nous irons déjeuner.
After we've visited the museum, we'll go and have lunch.
auras fini, not as fini.
Same Subject, Use the Past Infinitive
When the two clauses share a subject, French prefers après plus avoir or être and the past participle. It is shorter, it dodges the mood argument entirely, and it is what you will see most often in print.
Après avoir fermé la fenêtre, elle est allée se coucher.
After closing the window, she went to bed.
Same subject → après avoir / après être.
No Ne, No De
Avant que often takes a ne that means nothing, and avant de introduces an infinitive. Après que does neither: the clause starts directly with its subject, and the infinitive version drops que altogether.
Après qu'il a mangé, il sort ; après avoir mangé, il sort.
After he eats, he goes out; after eating, he goes out.
après que + subject, après + infinitive.
Common Mistakes with Après Que + Indicative
Incorrect: Après qu'il soit parti, j'ai fermé la porte. — After he left, I locked the door.
Correct: Après qu'il est parti, j'ai fermé la porte. — After he left, I locked the door.
The subjunctive has been borrowed from avant que, where it belongs. His leaving is a completed fact here, so the verb goes in the indicative. This is the error the whole topic exists to fix.
Incorrect: Après que tu as fini, on partira. — Once you've finished, we'll leave.
Correct: Après que tu auras fini, on partira. — Once you've finished, we'll leave.
English uses a present perfect in this slot, so learners reach for the passé composé. French marks the future on both verbs, which means the subordinate clause needs the futur antérieur.
Incorrect: Après qu'avoir mangé, il est sorti. — After eating, he went out.
Correct: Après avoir mangé, il est sorti. — After eating, he went out.
Que introduces a clause with a conjugated verb. In front of an infinitive there is no clause, so après stands alone, in the same way avant becomes avant de rather than avant que de.
Incorrect: Avant qu'il est parti, je lui ai parlé. — Before he left, I spoke to him.
Correct: Avant qu'il parte, je lui ai parlé. — Before he left, I spoke to him.
An overcorrection: having learned that après que takes the indicative, learners extend it to avant que. Avant que still needs the subjunctive, because at the moment of speaking the departure had not happened.
The Compound Tenses You Will Need After Après Que
Because the clause verb always expresses anteriority, it is nearly always a compound tense. These are the three that come up, shown with one verb taking avoir and one taking être.
Passé composé — the everyday choice
Used when the main verb is in the passé composé or in the present. This covers the large majority of real sentences.
| Pronoun | finir (avoir) | partir (être) |
|---|---|---|
| je / j' | ai fini | suis parti(e) |
| tu | as fini | es parti(e) |
| il / elle / on | a fini | est parti(e) |
| nous | avons fini | sommes parti(e)s |
| vous | avez fini | êtes parti(e)(s) |
| ils / elles | ont fini | sont parti(e)s |
Après qu'il a fini, il est sorti. Après qu'elle est partie, la maison a paru vide.
Futur antérieur — under a future main clause
The auxiliary goes into the future and the participle stays put. This is the form English speakers most often leave out.
| Pronoun | finir (avoir) | partir (être) |
|---|---|---|
| je / j' | aurai fini | serai parti(e) |
| tu | auras fini | seras parti(e) |
| il / elle / on | aura fini | sera parti(e) |
| nous | aurons fini | serons parti(e)s |
| vous | aurez fini | serez parti(e)(s) |
| ils / elles | auront fini | seront parti(e)s |
Après que tu auras fini, on partira. The main verb is a plain future: on partira.
Passé antérieur — literary narrative only
Built from the passé simple of the auxiliary, and used when the main verb is itself in the passé simple. You will meet it in novels and read it more often than you write it.
| Pronoun | finir (avoir) | partir (être) |
|---|---|---|
| je / j' | eus fini | fus parti(e) |
| tu | eus fini | fus parti(e) |
| il / elle / on | eut fini | fut parti(e) |
| nous | eûmes fini | fûmes parti(e)s |
| vous | eûtes fini | fûtes parti(e)(s) |
| ils / elles | eurent fini | furent parti(e)s |
Après qu'il eut fini son discours, il quitta la tribune. In speech this becomes a plain passé composé.
The Infinitive Escape Route and What People Actually Say
This is one of the rules that native speakers break constantly, so it is worth knowing both the standard and the reality.
Après plus the past infinitive
When both verbs have the same subject, replace the clause with après plus avoir or être and the past participle. The participle agrees with the subject when the auxiliary is être, exactly as in any compound tense.
- Après avoir terminé son rapport, il est allé dormir.
- After finishing his report, he went to sleep.
- Après être sortis, ils ont pris un taxi.
- After going out, they took a taxi.
- Après s'être levée, elle a ouvert les volets.
- After getting up, she opened the shutters.
- Après avoir été prévenus, nous avons annulé.
- After being warned, we cancelled.
If the subjects differ, this is not available: after he left, I locked up has to be après qu'il est parti, j'ai fermé.
Why you keep hearing the subjunctive
A great many native speakers say après qu'il soit parti, by analogy with avant que and because the sequence sounds more balanced. Dictionaries record the usage, but it is still corrected in exams, in editing, and in formal writing.
- Après qu'il est parti, tout est redevenu calme.
- After he left, everything went quiet again. (standard)
- Après que nous avons voté, les résultats sont tombés.
- After we voted, the results came in. (standard)
- Après que la loi a été adoptée, les débats ont continué.
- After the law was passed, the debates continued. (standard)
The safest habit is to write the indicative and not to be surprised when you hear the subjunctive.
Après without a clause
Après also works as a plain preposition in front of a noun, and it heads a few fixed expressions that have nothing to do with the conjunction.
- On se voit après le déjeuner.
- We'll see each other after lunch.
- Il arrive après-demain.
- He's arriving the day after tomorrow.
- D'après elle, le projet est annulé.
- According to her, the project has been cancelled.
- Après tout, ce n'est pas si grave.
- After all, it isn't that serious.
D'après means according to and never after; it is one of the most useful of these to have ready.
Après Que + Indicative FAQs
- Does après que take the subjunctive or the indicative?
- The indicative. Après qu'il est arrivé, nous avons commencé. The event has already happened by the time the main clause occurs, so there is nothing hypothetical about it, and the subjunctive would misrepresent it.
- Why do French speakers say après qu'il soit parti then?
- By analogy with avant que, which does take the subjunctive, and because the subjunctive sounds more elevated to many ears. It is extremely common in speech and increasingly common in print, but it is still marked as an error in careful writing and in exams.
- What tense do I use after après que when the main verb is in the future?
- The futur antérieur: après que tu auras terminé, on sortira. English uses a present perfect here — once you've finished — which is why the French future auxiliary is so easy to forget.
- What's the difference between après que and après avoir?
- Après que introduces a full clause with its own subject and conjugated verb: après qu'elle est rentrée, j'ai servi le dîner. Après avoir, or après être, takes a past infinitive and only works when the subject is the same in both halves: après être rentrée, elle a servi le dîner.
- Why does avant que take the subjunctive but après que doesn't?
- Because of what each one describes. Avant que refers to something that has not yet happened at the point the main verb takes place, which is exactly what the subjunctive is for. Après que refers to something already accomplished, so the indicative is the honest choice.