Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Después de haber guardado el mapa en la cartera, fuimos al parque. - After having put the map in the wallet, we went to the park.

It’s the “perfect infinitive.” It means “after having done X,” and it marks an action completed before the main verb. Here, después de haber guardado = “after having put away,” and it is prior to fuimos (“we went”).

Could I just say Después de guardar el mapa… instead of Después de haber guardado el mapa…?

Yes. Both are correct. The version with haber slightly emphasizes the prior completion of the action. In everyday Spanish, Después de guardar el mapa… is very common and fully natural.

How would I use a full clause with después de que? Do I need the subjunctive?

For a real, completed past action, use the indicative: Después de que guardamos el mapa, fuimos al parque.
For a future or pending action, use the subjunctive: Iremos al parque después de que guardemos el mapa.
In Spain, después de que is preferred over después que.

Why is it el mapa if the word ends in -a?

Because mapa is one of several masculine nouns ending in -a that come from Greek (others: el problema, el tema, el sistema). So it’s el mapa / los mapas.

Why is it en la cartera and not a la cartera?

With verbs like guardar or meter, Spanish uses en to indicate the container/location: guardar algo en X. The a in this sentence appears with motion to a place: fuimos al parque.

What does cartera mean in Spain? Would a map fit?

In Spain, cartera commonly means a wallet or a briefcase/school satchel. For a handbag, use bolso; for a coin purse, monedero. A full-size map probably wouldn’t go in a wallet; you might prefer bolso or mochila depending on context.

Is guardar the best verb here? What about meter or poner?

guardar = to put away/store/keep (often with the idea of safekeeping).
meter = to put/insert into (focus on placing something inside).
poner = to put/place (more general). All can work depending on nuance: Después de meter el mapa en el bolso… emphasizes insertion; guardar emphasizes storing it.

Where do I put the object pronoun if I replace el mapa with lo?

With an infinitive, the pronoun attaches to it: Después de haberlo guardado… or Después de guardarlo… (because mapa is masculine: lo, not la). Do not say: “después de lo haber guardado.”

Why doesn’t guardado agree in gender/number here?

With haber, the past participle is invariable: haber guardado (never guardada/guardados/guardadas). It only agrees when used adjectivally (e.g., la cartera está guardada).

Why fuimos and not íbamos?

Fuimos (preterite) presents a completed, one-time action (“we went”). Íbamos (imperfect) would indicate an ongoing/habitual background action (“we were on our way”/“we used to go”), which doesn’t fit the sequence implied by después de… here.

Could fuimos mean “we were” (from ser)?

Yes, the preterite of ir and ser is identical (fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron). Context disambiguates. The presence of al (“to the”) makes it clearly ir (“we went”).

Can I say Nos fuimos al parque instead?

Yes. Irse emphasizes the act of leaving/setting off. Nos fuimos al parque ~ “we took off/went to the park.” Fuimos al parque is more neutral.

Why al parque and not a el parque?

Spanish contracts a + el → al: al parque. This contraction is mandatory (except in certain proper names like a El Salvador).

Is the comma after the initial clause required?

Yes, when the adverbial clause comes first: Después de… , fuimos…. If you flip the order, you typically omit it: Fuimos al parque después de haber guardado el mapa.

Does the subject of haber guardado have to be the same as the subject of fuimos?

With an infinitive, it’s normally understood to share the subject with the main clause (here, “we”). If you need a different subject, use a finite clause: Después de que Juan guardó el mapa, fuimos al parque.

Is Después de habíamos guardado… ever correct?

No. Después de must be followed by a noun or an infinitive. If you want a conjugated verb, use después de que: Después de que guardamos el mapa, fuimos… (indicative for a completed past action).

Are there concise alternatives to después de?

Tras (common and slightly formal in Spain): Tras guardar el mapa, fuimos al parque.
Una vez
- participle: Una vez guardado el mapa, fuimos al parque. (more formal/literary)

Why el mapa and not un mapa?

El points to a specific, known map (already identified in context). Un mapa would introduce a new, unspecified map.

Could I use luego (de)?

Luego by itself means “later/then” and doesn’t take an infinitive directly in this way.
Luego de
- infinitive is widely used in Latin America: Luego de guardar el mapa… In Spain, después de or tras is more typical, though luego de is understood.

Can I change the word order without changing the meaning?

Yes: Fuimos al parque después de haber guardado el mapa. Same meaning; just adjust the comma placement as noted above.