Suffixes that mirror English
-ción, -dad, -mente, -oso
| Suffix | Makes | From → to | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ción | noun (f.) | informar → información | information |
| -dad / -tad | noun (f.) | libre → libertad | freedom |
| -miento | noun (m.) | sentir → sentimiento | feeling |
| -ez / -eza | noun (f.) | bello → belleza | beauty |
| -mente | adverb | claro → claramente | clearly |
| -oso / -osa | adjective | peligro → peligroso | dangerous |
| -able / -ible | adjective | comer → comestible | edible |
| -ería | shop (f.) | zapato → zapatería | shoe shop |
| -ito / -ita | small | casa → casita | little house |
| -azo | big, or a blow | puerta → portazo | door slam |
Prefixes that change the meaning
Des-, re-, in-, pre-
des-undo, oppositehacer → deshacer · conocido → desconocidodes-EE-theh lah mah-LEH-tah · “I unpacked my suitcase.”Why: deshacer la maleta = to unpack (literally “undo the suitcase”).
DeshiceI-undidla maleta.the suitcase
re-againleer → releer · hacer → rehacerTEN-goh keh rreh-leh-EHR el TEKS-toh · “I have to reread the text.”Why: re- works like English re-.
Tengo queI-have toreleerre-readel texto.the text
in- / im-notposible → imposible · útil → inútiles eem-poh-SEE-bleh · “It’s impossible.”Why: in- becomes im- before p or b, as in English.
Esit-isimposible.impossible
pre-beforever → prever · historia → prehistoriaes dee-FEE-theel preh-BEHR el foo-TOO-roh · “It’s hard to predict the future.”Why: prever = pre + ver (see): to foresee.
Es difícilit-is hardpreverto-foreseeel futuro.the future
Making a word for a person
Panadero, dentista, conductor
-ero / -eratrades, often from a product
-istaprofessions, beliefs; same for both genders
-dor / -dorasomeone who does the verb
-ante / -entesomeone doing it now
Putting it together
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Verbs from adjectives
Envejecer, alargar, oscurecer
Verb + noun compounds
Sacacorchos, rascacielos
Spanish builds tool and job names from a verb plus a plural noun. They are masculine and the same in singular and plural.
Corkscrewel sah-kah-KOR-chohs · “the corkscrew”Why: sacar (take out) + corchos (corks).
el sacacorchosthe pulls-corks
Skyscraperel rras-kah-THYEH-lohs · “the skyscraper”Why: rascar (scrape) + cielos.
el rascacielosthe scrapes-skies
Pencil sharpenerel sah-kah-POON-tahs · “the pencil sharpener”Why: sacar + puntas (points).
el sacapuntasthe takes-points
Windscreen wiperel leem-pyah-pah-rah-BREE-sahs · “the windscreen wiper”Why: limpiar + parabrisas, itself a compound.
el limpiaparabrisasthe cleans-windscreens
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