Efter at vi har spist aftensmad, slapper vi af i stuen.

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Breakdown of Efter at vi har spist aftensmad, slapper vi af i stuen.

• vi: we
• have: to have
• stuen: the living room

Questions & Answers about Efter at vi har spist aftensmad, slapper vi af i stuen.

What does efter at mean here?

Efter at means after when it introduces a whole clause.

• efter = after
• at = that / to, but here it helps introduce the clause

So Efter at vi har spist aftensmad literally means After that we have eaten dinner, but in natural English: After we have eaten dinner or simply After we eat dinner.

Why does Danish use har spist here?

Har spist is the present perfect:

• har = have
• spist = eaten

So vi har spist = we have eaten.

In this sentence, Danish uses the present perfect in the time clause to show that the eating is completed before the relaxing happens. English often does the same:

• After we have eaten dinner, we relax...

But in everyday English, we often simplify it to:

• After we eat dinner, we relax...

Danish commonly keeps har spist in this kind of sentence.

Why is it slapper vi af and not vi slapper af?