Spanish suffixes and prefixes

By Marta Díaz on Thursday, December 5, 2024

If during your intensive Spanish course, you have seen what they are and how to use Spanish prefixes and Spanish suffixes, but you still haven't mastered them, in this Enforex article we give you the keys you need to do so. Form and create words with Spanish prefixes and Spanish suffixes to sound like a native speaker.

Why use Spanish suffixes and prefixes?

The use of Spanish prefixes and Spanish suffixes is essential to form new words and modify their meaning or function. It is a way to enrich your Spanish language and facilitate communication with others.

Here are some compelling reasons to use these words:

• Enrich your vocabulary
• Change the meaning of words
• Express spatial or temporal relationships
• You can use more precise terms
• Form new words
• Indicate grammatical relationships
• Add nuances of meaning
• Simplify abstract concepts
• You will be able to speak with clarity and accuracy

List of Spanish prefixes

Spanish prefixes are particles that are placed at the beginning of a word to modify its meaning. These are the most common prefixes in Spanish, their meaning and examples:

• a-/an-: means denial or deprivation. Examples: anormal, anestesia (anesthesia)
• anti-: opposition. Examples: antídoto (antidote), antihéroe (anti-hero)
• auto-: by itself. Examples: automóvil (automobile), autógrafo (autobiography)
• bi-/bis-/biz-: two, double. Examples: bilingüe (bilingual), bisabuelo (great-grandfather), bizcocho (sponge cake)
• co-/con-/com-: togetherness, companionship. E.g.: cooperar (cooperate), convivir (coexist), comparer (compare)
• de-/dis-: negation, excess or difficulty. g.: discapacidad (disability), discordia (discord), deshacer (undo), despeinar (unkempt)
• extra-: outside of, additional. E.g.: extraterrestre (extraterrestrial), extraordinario (extraordinary)
• hemi-: half. E.g.: hemisferio (hemisphere), hemiciclo (hemicycle)
• hiper-: excess. Examples: hipertensión (hypertension), hiperactivo (hyperactive)
• hipo-: below, insufficient. E.g.: hipotermia (hypothermia), hipoglucemia (hypoglycemia)
• in-/im-/i-: negation or deprivation. Examples: inexacto (inaccurate), imposible (impossible), ilegal (illegal), invisible (invisible)
• 
• infra-: Examples: infraestrcutura (infrastructure), infrarrojo (infrared)
• inter-: E.g.: internacional (international), intermedio (intermediate)
• mono-: one. g.: monótono (monotonous), monólogo (monologue)
• poli-: E.g.: polígono (polygonal), politécnico (polytechnic)
• post-: after. g.: postdata, posmoderno (postmodern)
• pre-: before. E.g.: prevenir (prevent), prehistoria (prehistory)
• re-: repetition or intensification. g.: revisar (revise), renombrar (rename), recargar (reload)
• sub-/so-/su-: E.g.: subterráneo (subway), sostener (sustain), sucumbir (succumb)
• super-/sobre-: excess, superiority. E.g.: superhéroe (superhero), sobrenatural (supernatural)
• trans-/tras-: beyond, across. E.g.: transporte (transport), transatlántico (transatlantic)
• ultra-: extreme or beyond. Examples: ultratumba (ultratomb), ultraprocesado (ultra-processed)

List of Spanish suffixes

Spanish suffixes are particles that are placed at the end of a word to alter its meaning or grammatical function. Here are some of the most common suffixes, their meaning and some examples:

• -ero/a: trade or place. Example: panadero (baker), frutero (greengrocer)
• -ista: occupation, follower. g.: artista (artist), ciclista (cyclist)
• -or/a: agent or profession. E.g.: pintor (painter), professor (teacher)
• -cion: action or result. Examples: invitación (invitation), creación (creation)
• -ía: place or quality. E.g.: panadería (bakery), alegría (joy)
• -ismo: alludes to a political doctrine, religion or movement. E.g.: atletismo (athleticism), comunismo (communism)
• -ez/-eza: abstract quality. E.g.: honradez (honesty), tristeza (sadness), rareza (rarity)
• -al: relationship or belonging. Examples: cultural, personal
• -oso/a: abundance. Examples: hermoso (beautiful), sabroso (tasty)
• -ble: possibility or ability. Examples: amable (kind), legible (readable)
• -bilidad/-edad/-idad: form abstract nouns that derive from adjectives. E.g.: estabilidad (stability), soledad (loneliness), maldad (badness), probabilidad (probability).
• -ivo/a: tendency or quality. E.g.: creative (creative), adictivo (addictive)
• -azo: augmentative value and expression of affection or blow given. g.: mazazo, porrazo, codazo
• -ecer: process of change. E.g.: anochecer (to dusk), enriquecer (to enrich)
• -mente: Examples: rápidamente (quickly), fácilmente (easily), cómodamente (comfortably)
• -ito/-ita: Examples: casita (little house), perrito (little dog), huesito (little bone)
• 
• -ón/-ona: augmentative or derogatory. Example: cabezón
• -ucho/-ucha: derogatory. Examples: casucha, gentuza, debilucho
• -triz: forms words in the feminine. E.g.: emperatriz (empress), matriz (womb), institutriz (governess)

These are just some of the most used prefixes and suffixes in Spanish and with a few examples. So, if you want to learn more about this part of the language, sign up for Spanish courses in Spain to practice 24 hours a day. Surround yourself with Spanish with Enforex.