Expressing Cause with Past Infinitives
To explain the cause of a state or completed action, you can use pour followed by a past infinitive. In English, this translates to "for having [done something]".
The past infinitive is formed using the infinitive of the auxiliary verb (avoir or être) and the past participle of the main verb. Most verbs use avoir.
| He is in pain today for having ignored this cavity. | Il a mal aujourd'hui pour avoir ignoré cette carie. |
This structure is very common when talking about the consequences of past actions, such as neglecting a cavity (une carie).
| She had to have a tooth pulled out for having hidden her cavity. | Elle a dû se faire arracher une dent pour avoir caché sa carie. |
| He lost his tooth for having refused to go to the dentist. | Il a perdu sa dent pour avoir refusé d'aller chez le dentiste. |
Past Infinitives with Être
Just like in the passé composé, verbs of motion and reflexive verbs use être as their auxiliary (pour être or pour s'être). The past participle follows standard agreement rules.
| She lost a tooth for having fallen on the street. | Elle a perdu une dent pour être tombée dans la rue. |
| She has sore gums for having brushed her teeth too fast. | Elle a mal aux gencives pour s'être brossé les dents trop vite. |
Worsening Consequences
This grammar pattern is highly effective for discussing how a situation deteriorated due to a specific past choice or habit.
| to worsen | empirer |
| You made the problem worsen for having avoided the dentist. | Tu as fait empirer le problème pour avoir évité le dentiste. |
| They made their cavities worsen for having eaten too many candies. | Ils ont fait empirer leurs caries pour avoir mangé trop de bonbons. |
Your questions are stored by us to improve Elon.io