Introduction: Expanding Your Vocabulary

Understanding common prefixes (word beginnings) and suffixes (word endings) is a powerful way to expand your Dutch vocabulary. By recognizing these elements, you can often guess the meaning of new words or understand how different parts of speech are related (e.g., adjective to noun).

At B1, we focus on some of the most productive prefixes and suffixes used to form nouns, adjectives, and verbs.

1. Suffixes (Forming Nouns and Adjectives)

Forming Nouns (Often from Adjectives or Verbs):

• -heid: Forms abstract nouns from adjectives, indicating a quality or state (similar to English "-ness", "-ity"). These are usually de-words.
• mooi (beautiful) -> de schoonheid (beauty)
• vrij (free) -> de vrijheid (freedom)
• mogelijk (possible) -> de mogelijkheid (possibility)
• gezond (healthy) -> de gezondheid (health)
• zeker (certain) -> de zekerheid (certainty)
• -ing: Forms nouns from verbs, often indicating the action or result of the verb (similar to English "-ing" as a noun). Usually de-words.
• opleiden (to train) -> de opleiding (training, education)
• veranderen (to change) -> de verandering (change)
• rekenen (to calculate) -> de rekening (bill, account)
• wonen (to live) -> de woning (dwelling, house)
• -schap: Forms abstract nouns, often indicating a state, condition, or collective group (similar to English "-ship", "-scape"). Usually het-words.
• vriend (friend) -> de vriendschap (friendship) (Exception: de-word)
• boodschap (message) -> de boodschappen (groceries)
• wetend (knowing) -> de wetenschap (science)
• land (land) -> het landschap (landscape)
• -isme: Indicates a doctrine, system, or practice (like English "-ism"). Usually het-words.
• sociaal (social) -> het socialisme (socialism)
• kapitaal (capital) -> het kapitalisme (capitalism)

Forming Adjectives:

• -lijk: Forms adjectives from nouns or verbs, often indicating "like", "related to", or possibility (similar to English "-ly", "-able").
• vriend (friend) -> vriendelijk (friendly)
• natuur (nature) -> natuurlijk (natural, of course)
• mogelijk (possible) -> derived from mogen (to be allowed)
• dag (day) -> dagelijks (daily)
• heer (lord, master) -> heerlijk (delicious, delightful)
• -ig: Forms adjectives from nouns, indicating "having the quality of" (similar to English "-y").
• zon (sun) -> zonnig (sunny)
• haast (haste) -> haastig (hasty)
• kracht (strength) -> krachtig (powerful)
• rust (rest) -> rustig (calm, quiet)
• -zaam: Forms adjectives, often from verbs, indicating inclination or ability (similar to English "-some", "-able").
• werken (to work) -> werkzaam (industrious, active)
• helpen (to help) -> hulpzaam (helpful)
• lang (long) -> langzaam (slow)
• -baar: Forms adjectives from verbs, indicating possibility or suitability (English "-able", "-ible").
• eten (to eat) -> eetbaar (edible)
• drinken (to drink) -> drinkbaar (drinkable)
• zien (to see) -> zichtbaar (visible)
• betalen (to pay) -> betaalbaar (affordable)
• -loos: Indicates absence or lack (English "-less").
• werk (work) -> werkloos (unemployed)
• hoop (hope) -> hopeloos (hopeless)
• eind (end) -> eindeloos (endless)

2. Prefixes (Modifying Meaning)

• on-: Expresses negation or the opposite (like English "un-", "in-", "im-", "non-").
• gelukkig (happy) -> ongelukkig (unhappy)
• mogelijk (possible) -> onmogelijk (impossible)
• bekend (known) -> onbekend (unknown)
• gezond (healthy) -> ongezond (unhealthy)
• her-: Indicates repetition or restoration (like English "re-"). Often inseparable.
• lezen (to read) -> herlezen (to reread)
• openen (to open) -> heropenen (to reopen)
• inneren (to remember - rare base) -> herinneren (to remember)
• halen (to fetch/get) -> herhalen (to repeat)
• mis-: Indicates something wrong, bad, or failed (like English "mis-"). Often inseparable.
• verstaan (to understand) -> misverstaan (to misunderstand)
• lukken (to succeed) -> mislukken (to fail)
• bruiken (to use - rare base) -> misbruiken (to misuse, abuse)
• wan-: Indicates something wrong, bad, or disordered (similar to mis-). Often inseparable.
• orde (order) -> wanorde (disorder)
• hoop (hope) -> wanhoop (despair)
• trouw (faithfulness) -> wantrouwen (to distrust)

Using Word Formation Knowledge

• Guessing Meanings: If you know the base word and the meaning of the prefix/suffix, you can often deduce the meaning of the new word.
• Building Vocabulary: Actively look for words with these patterns.
• Understanding Grammar: Recognize how suffixes change a word's grammatical category (e.g., adjective vriendelijk -> noun vriendelijkheid).

Prefixes like on-, her-, mis-, and suffixes like -heid, -ing, -lijk, -ig, -baar, -loos are building blocks of the Dutch language. Recognizing them helps decode new words and understand relationships between existing ones, significantly boosting your vocabulary and comprehension at the B1 level.