Prefixes des-, in-, and re-

 

1. The prefixes des- and in- are used to indicate the opposite meaning to the word that they modify.

EXAMPLES

WORD	ANTONYM
Acuerdo/ agreement	desacuerdo/ disagreement
Hacer/ to do	deshacer/ to undo
Heredar/ to inherit	desheredar/ disinherit
Vestirse/ to get dressed	desvestirse/ to get undressed
Consciente/ conscious	inconsciente/ unconscious
Útil/ useful	inútil/ useless
Experto/ expert	inexperto/ unskilled, inexpert
Feliz/ happy	Infeliz/ unhappy

LESSONS: Organizational Chart I & Organizational Chart Ia.

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2. The prefix re- is used to emphasize or increase the meaning of the word that it modifies. If re- is added to a verb, it means to repeat the same action. Furthermore, if re- modifies an adjective, it means very.

NOTE: In Spanish, there are two slang prefixes, requete- and super-, that are more intense than -re, but NOT as intense as superlative forms of adjectives. They mean practically the most. Furthermore, they can modify ONLY adjectives.

EXAMPLES

WORD	RE-	REQUETE-; SUPER-
Hacer/ to do	rehacer/ to redo	NA
difícil/ difficult	redifícil/ very difficult	requetedifícil, superdifícil
linda/ pretty	relinda/ very pretty	requetelinda, superlinda

 

LESSONS: Organizational Chart II & Organizational Chart IIa.