4.3 Recognizing Spanish Prefixes
Because English and Spanish share so many years of Latin influence, we can learn thousands of Spanish words if we have the correct knowledge of the meaning of the PREFIXES of both languages.
Be careful, as the rules for the formation of words are highly dependent on historical occurrence and not every prefix can be matched with a Latin root to create a meaning. In other words, the knowledge of the meanings of these affixes is not a tool to form your own words. It is a good instant reference to UNDERSTAND words that are found in texts and everyday conversation.
So here are a few of the most common Spanish Prefixes that you should become acquainted with:
| Prefix | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Mal- | Bad | Placed in front of verbs to express the action is done poorly Malgastar – to spend (gastar) poorly |
| Ben- | Good | In front of words to express action well done. Bendecir (to bless or speak well of) Beneficiar (to benefit). |
| Des- | Un- | The action of undoing something Descubrir (literally to uncover). Destapar vs Tapar |
| Dis- | Not | Not the same as DES. Expresses opposites or the concept of Not Doing something. Examples Discontinuar vs. Continuar. Disculpar vs. Culpar; Dislocar vs. colocar |
| Pre- | Before | Refers to things that come before (just like in English with the same Prefix). Presentar; Predecir, preparar, presumir |
| Con- | With, Together | In Spanish the word con means with, so as a prefix it also means with or together with when added to verbs Convivir, contener, contratar. |
| Com- | With, Together | Similar to Con- Things that go together or work together. Compartir , comparar, combinar |
| Co- | With, Together | Similar to Con- and Com- Things that go together or work together Colaborar, cooperar, coordinar |
| Ex- | Out of | Very similar to its English equivalent. Pulling out of, removing from. Extraer, exportar |
| Re- | Again | Renacer, repasar, reunir, reforzar, rehacer |
| Sobre- | Over | Like the prepositions “over” or “above”. Sobresalir, sobrevivir |
| Sub- | Under | The opposite of sobre. subestimar, subrayar |
| Contra- | Against | In disagreement or against. Contradecir, contraatacar |
| Uni- | One, the whole | Unir, uniformar, unificar |
| Equi- | Equal | Equivaler, equilibrar, equiparar |
Prefix Resources
- The Most Useful Spanish Suffixes and Prefixes by Keith at Latin America Spanish Cafe
- 16 Spanish Prefixes That’ll Help You Understand Hundreds of New Spanish Words by Hannah Greenwald at FluentU
