Unit 16: Translation considerations (part 5)
16.5 Compound Participles, Compound Infinitives and Absolute Constructions
Compound (or perfect) participles are composed of the present participle of the auxiliary verb haber + past participle. Note that the object pronoun is attached to the form of haber.
| habiendo cantado | having sung |
| habiéndolo dicho | having said it |
Compound (or perfect) infinitives are composed of the infinitive of the auxiliary verb haber + the past participle:
| haber puesto | having put |
| haber marchado | having left |
The use of the compound past participle corresponds well to English:
| Habiendo terminado el examen, sintió gran alivio. | Having finished the exam, he/she felt great relief. |
| Habiéndolo rechazado, me puse a pensarlo otra vez. | Having rejected it, I began to think it over again. |
In context, the compound infinitive is most often seen after a preposition or, occasionally, after a conjugated verb. Again, both uses function as in English.
| Se fue sin habernos explicado nada. | He left without having explained anything to us. |
| Nos mudamos después de habernos graduado. | We moved away after having graduated. |
| Creo haberlo comprendido. | I believe I have understood it. |
The past participle also functions as an adjective in what are called “absolute” constructions. Note the various translation possibilities in English.
| Concluida la reunión, todos se levantaron. | When the meeting was over (concluded), everyone got up. |
| Terminada la guerra, gozaron de paz de nuevo. | Once the war ended, they enjoyed peace again. |
| Hechas las conclusiones, las escribieron en su reportaje. | The conclusions having been made, they wrote them into their report. |
