Breakdown of Le complice a été arrêté par la police après le cambriolage.
être
to be
avoir
to have
par
by, through / out of (motive)
la police
the police
après
after
arrêter
to stop (something), to arrest
le complice
the accomplice
le cambriolage
the burglary
Questions & Answers about Le complice a été arrêté par la police après le cambriolage.
Since this lesson is about the past infinitive (après avoir/être), why don't we use it here?
The past infinitive is only used when "after" is followed by a verb action, like "after having burgled" (après avoir cambriolé). In this sentence, le cambriolage (the burglary) is a noun. When "after" is followed by a noun, you simply use après directly before it, just like in English.
Why does the sentence use a été arrêté instead of a arrêté?
This is the passive voice in the past tense (passé composé). If we used a arrêté, it would mean the accomplice actively arrested someone else! To say he "was arrested," we take the helping verb être, put it in the past tense (a été), and add the past participle of the action (arrêté).
Does le complice mean the same thing as the English word "complicit"?
Learn Le complice a été arrêté par la police après le cambriolage and more in French
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free