PREFIXES
In Spanish the prefix can make a change to the root word. Note how "poner" changes depending on the prefix.
poner |
= | to put, place |
| deponer | = | depose |
| disponer | = | dispose |
| exponer | = | expose, show |
| imponer | = | impose |
| interponer | = | interpose |
| posponer | = | postpone |
| proponer | = | propose |
| reponer | = | replace |
| sobreponer | = | superimpose |
| superponer | = | superimpose |
This is not a complete list of prefixes, but are some of the more common ones.
Prefix |
Meaning |
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an, a |
privation or negation |
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| normal | = | normal | anormal | = | abnormal | |
| alfabeto | = | alfabet | analfabeto | = | illiterate | |
| Note: The word "literate" is alfabetizado | ||||||
| ante | before |
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| ayer | = | yesterday | anteayer | = | the day before yesterday | |
| mano | = | hand | antemano | = | beforehand, in advance | |
| brazo | = | arm | antebrazo | = | forearm | |
| noche | = | night | antenoche | = | the night before last | |
bis,biz, bi |
twice or double | |||||
| abuelo | = | grandfather | bisabuelo | = | great-grandfather | |
con |
with, together, jointly |
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| dominio | = | to control | condominio | = | joint ownership | |
| laborar | = | to work | colaborar | = | to collaborate | |
| discípulo | = | disciple, student | condiscípulo | = | fellow student | |
| des, de | privation, negation or separation | |||||
| hacer | = | to make | deshacer | = | to take apart | |
| generar | = | to generate | degenerar | = | to degenerate | |
| mérito | = | merit | demérito | = | demerit | |
| esperar | = | to wait, to hope | desesperar | = | to lose hope | |
| aparecer | = | to appear | desaparecer | = | to disappear | |
dis |
be without | |||||
| culpar | = | to blame | disculpar | = | to excuse | |
| en | place in which, acquisition of a quality |
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| jaula | = | cage (for animals) | enjaular | = | to cage | |
| gorda | = | fat | engordar | = | to fatten | |
| Note: In order to make these verbs an "r" had to be added to the ending. | ||||||
hiper |
superiority or excess |
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| crítico | = | critical | hipercrítico | = | hypercritical | |
| tensión | = | tension | hipertensión | = | hypertension | |
| sensible | = | sensible | hipersensible | = | hypersensible | |
i |
negation |
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| lógical | = | logical | ilógical | = | illogical | |
| legal | = | legal | ilegal | = | illegal | |
| re | repetition, intensity, or to step backwards |
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| hacer | = | to do | rehacer | = | to do over, to mend | |
| poner | = | to put, to place | reponer | = | to replace, to restore | |
sobre |
superiority or excess |
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| hombre | = | man | sobrehombre | = | superman | |
| pasar | = | to passs, to give | sobrepasar | = | to surpass | |
| sub, so | underneath | |||||
| terráneo | = | terrain, ground | subterráneo | = | underground | |
| marino | = | marine, sea | submarino | = | submarine | |
| cavar | = | to dig | subcavar | = | to dig under, undermine | |
| super | superiority or excess | |||||
| poner | = | to put, to place | superponer | = | to superimpose | |
| abundancia | = | abundance, plenty | superabundancia | = | superabundance | |