Uses of the compound/perfect infinitive

The compound infinitive indicates that something has happened prior to another event. A variety of expressions leads to this construction.

1. Por haber salido tú, me he tenido que quedar en casa. (The fact that you went out means I had to stay at home.)

2. Por no haber hablado él, no le dieron el regalo. (Because he did not speak, they did not give him the present.)

3. Me dio las gracias por habérselo llevado. (She thanked me for having taken it to her.)

4. Logró aprobar a pesar de no haber estudiado. (She managed to pass, despite not having studied.)

5. Además de haber comido un melon entero, bebió cuatro litros de vino. (As well as having eaten a whole melon, he drank four liters of wine.)

6. De haberlo sabido, te habría avisado. (If I had known, I would have told you.)

Certain verbs lead logically to the use of the perfect infinitive.

1. La policía lo acusó de haber cometido el delito. (The police accused him of having committed the offense.)

2. Recuerdo haberlo encontrado en Colombia. (I remember having met him in Colombia.)

3. No me acuerdo de haber leído la novela. (I don't remember having read the novel.)

4. Se quejó de haber pasado tanto tiempo bajo la lluvia. (She complained about having spent so much time in the rain.)

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