Word Formation: Suffixes and Prefixes (B1)

Understanding common suffixes and prefixes is crucial at the B1 level for expanding vocabulary and recognizing the meaning and grammatical category of unfamiliar words. These morphemes attach to base words (nouns, verbs, adjectives) to create new words.

1. Common Suffixes (Achtervoegsels):

Suffixes are added to the end of a word and often change the word's grammatical class.

• -heid / -teit (Forms abstract nouns from adjectives): Similar to English '-ness' or '-ty'.
• Adjective: mooi (beautiful) -> Noun: mooiheid (beauty)
• Adjective: gezond (healthy) -> Noun: gezondheid (health)
• Adjective: actief (active) -> Noun: activiteit (activity)
• Adjective: flexibel (flexible) -> Noun: flexibiliteit (flexibility)
• -lijk (Forms adjectives from nouns/verbs, or adverbs from adjectives): Similar to English '-ly' or '-like'.
• Noun: vriend (friend) -> Adjective: vriendelijk (friendly)
• Noun: jaar (year) -> Adjective: jaarlijks (yearly/annual) - Note the -s ending for adverbs/some adjectives.
• Verb: weten (to know) -> Adjective: wetelijk (legal)
• Adjective: zeker (certain) -> Adverb: zekerlijk (certainly - though zeker itself is often used as an adverb)
• -baar (Forms adjectives from verbs): Similar to English '-able' or '-ible', indicating possibility.
• Verb: eten (to eat) -> Adjective: eetbaar (edible)
• Verb: lezen (to read) -> Adjective: leesbaar (readable)
• Verb: betalen (to pay) -> Adjective: betaalbaar (affordable/payable)
• -ing (Forms nouns from verbs): Often indicates the action or result of the verb.
• Verb: opleiden (to train) -> Noun: opleiding (training/education)
• Verb: vergaderen (to meet) -> Noun: vergadering (meeting)
• -loos (Forms adjectives from nouns): Meaning 'without', similar to English '-less'.
• Noun: werk (work) -> Adjective: werkloos (unemployed)
• Noun: hoop (hope) -> Adjective: hopeloos (hopeless)
• -schap (Forms abstract nouns): Indicates state, condition, or group.
• Noun: vriend (friend) -> Noun: vriendschap (friendship)
• Noun: boodschap (message/errand)

2. Common Prefixes (Voorvoegsels):

Prefixes are added to the beginning of a word and usually modify its meaning without changing its grammatical class.

• on- (Negation/Opposite): Similar to English 'un-', 'in-', 'im-'.
• Adjective: mogelijk (possible) -> onmogelijk (impossible)
• Adjective: gelukkig (happy) -> ongelukkig (unhappy)
• Noun: zin (sense) -> onzin (nonsense)
• her- (Repetition/Again): Similar to English 're-'.
• Verb: lezen (to read) -> herlezen (to reread)
• Verb: openen (to open) -> heropenen (to reopen)
• ver- (Various meanings): Often indicates change, completion, error, or makes intransitive verbs transitive. (This prefix is very common and its meaning is highly context-dependent).
• Verb: kopen (to buy) -> verkopen (to sell)
• Verb: anderen (to change) -> veranderen (to change - transitive/intransitive)
• Adjective: plicht (duty) -> verplichten (to oblige)
• ont- (Removal/Beginning/Escape):
• Verb: dekken (to cover) -> ontdekken (to discover)
• Verb: snappen (to get/understand) -> ontsnappen (to escape)
• Verb: moeten (to have to meet) -> ontmoeten (to meet someone)
• be- (Makes verbs transitive/Covers/Provides with):
• Verb: antwoorden (to answer) -> beantwoorden (to answer something)
• Noun: dank (thanks) -> bedanken (to thank)

Importance for B1:

• Vocabulary Expansion: Recognizing prefixes/suffixes helps decode new words based on familiar roots.
• Grammar Recognition: Understanding how suffixes change word class helps with sentence structure.
• Nuance: Prefixes especially can subtly alter the meaning of verbs.

Actively noticing and analyzing word parts significantly aids language acquisition at this level.