Afijos: Prefijos y sufijos en inglés

Definición de afijos:

Los afijos son secuencias lingüísticas que se anteponen (prefijos), se posponen

(sufijos) o se insertan (infijos) en la palabra para modificar su significado.

¿Por qué es importante conocer los afijos?

Porque muchas de las palabras que utilizamos en inglés, no son originalmente

inglesas, sino de origen griego o latino.

Conocer los afijos te permite saber, deducir, o cambiar el significado concreto de

una palabra.  Por ejemplo: cuando estas presentando algún examen como
el TOEFL, leyendo o escribiendo en inglés, puedes “adivinar” el significado o
cambiarlo.

Al igual que en español, las palabras en inglés pueden consistir de tres partes: la
raíz (the root), un prefijo (a prefix) y/o  un sufijo (a suffix).

 La raíz es la parte de la palabra que contiene el significado básico

(definición).
 El prefijo es el elemento de la palabra que se coloca antes de la raíz. Un
prefijo cambia el significado o hace una nueva palabra.
 El sufijo es el elemento de la palabra que se coloca después de la raíz.  El
sufijo cambia el significado de la palabra, así como su función (uso) y en
muchos casos el género y número.

Los prefijos y sufijos se llaman afijos porque estan unidos a la raíz.

El conocer los afijos, no solamente pueden ayudarte a identificar el significado de

la palabra, sino que también pueden ayudar a incrementar tu vocabulario en
inglés.

A continuación podrás observar la lista de afijos más comunes en inglés, su estructura y

los principales ejemplos
Prefijos Significado Ejemplos

a- an- not, without atheist, anemic

to, towards aside, aback

in the process of, in a a-hunting, aglow

 
particular state

 
of anew

completely abashed

ab- abs- away from abdicate, abstract

ad-, a-, ac-,af-, movement to, change into, advance, adulterate, adjunct,

ag-, al-, an-, addition or increase ascend, affiliate, affirm,

ap-, at-, as-, at- aggravate, alleviate,

annotate, apprehend, arrive,

assemble, attend

ante- before, preceding antecedent, ante-room

anti- ant- opposing, against, the anti-aircraft, antibiotic,

opposite anticlimax, Antartic

auto- self automobile, autobiography

be- all over, all around bespatter, beset

  completely bewitch, bemuse

having, covered with bejewelled

  affect with (added to befog

nouns)
 cause to be (added to becalm

  adjectives)

bi- two biceps, bicycle

com- co-, col-, with, jointly, completely combat, co-pilot, colude,

con-, cor- confide, corrode

contra- against, opposite contraceptive

counter- opposition, opposite counter-attack, counteract

direction

descend, despair, depend,

de-
down, away deduct
 
completely denude, denigrate

  removal, reversal de-ice, decamp

downward, undo deflate, defect

deci- ten decibels, decimal

dia-, di- throung, across diagonal

dis-, di- negation, removal, disadvantage, dismount,

expulsion disbud, disbar

en- em- put into or on engulf, enmesh

  bring into the condition of enlighten, embitter

intensification entangle, enrage

ex, e-, ef- out exit,exclude, expand

  upward exalt, extol

completeley excruciate, exasperate

 
previous ex – wife

extra- outside, beyond extracurricular

 hemi- half hemisphere

hyper- beyond, more than, more hypersonic. Hyperactive

than normal

hypo- under hypodermic, hypothermia

infertile,

inappropriate,impossible,

not, without incurable

in-, il-, im- in, into, towards, inside influence, influx, imbibe

infra- below infrared, infraestructure

inter- between, among interact, interchange

intra- inside, within intramural, intravenous

non- absence, negation non-smoker, non-alcoholic

ob-,oc-, of-, op-blocking, against, obstruct, occult, offend,

concealing oppose

macro- large macroeconimics, macrobiotic

magni- great magnify, magnificent

mega- huge megaphone, megabucks

micro- small microscope, micorbe

mis- wrongly mistake, mislead

surpassing, exceeding outperform

out- external, away from outbuilding, outboard

overconfident, overburdened,

over- excessively, completely overjoyed

peri- round, about perimeter

post- after in time or order postpone

 before in time, place, order pre-adolescent, prelude,

pre- or importance precondition

favouring, in support of pro-African

pro-
acting for proconsul

motion forwards or away propulsion

before in time, place or prologue

order

re- against, opposite repaint, reappraise, reawake

semi- half, partly semicircle, semi-conscious

sub-  suc-, at a lower position submarine, subsoil

suf-, sug-, lower in rank sub-lieutenant

sup-, sur-sus-

nearly, approximately sub-tropical

syn- sym- in union, acting together synchronize, symmetry

across, beyond transnational, transatlantic

trans- into a different state translate

tele- far telescope, telephone

tri- three tricycle, triangle

beyond ultraviolet, ultrasonic

ultra- extreme ultramicroscopic

unacceptable, unreal,

not, without unhappy, unmanned

reversal or cancellationof unplug, unmask

un- action or state

 under- beneath, below underage, undercarriage

lower in rank undersecretary

not enough underdeveloped

uni- one, single unicorn, uniform, unilateral

Sufijos (Suffixes)

Sustantivos Significado Ejemplo

ac, ic like, pertaining to cardiac, aquatic

democracy, obstinacy,

acy, cy state of being sufficiency

agogy leading pedagogy, demagogy

archy rule, leadership gynarchy, anarchy

al pertaining to rehearsal, maniacal, portal,

 logical

ant, ent full of eloquent, verdant

ary like, connected with dictionary, honorary

ation that wich is irritation

ess female actress, waitress, stewardess

ism doctrine, belief civil, docile, Buddhism

ist dealer, doer dentist, realist, artist

ity state of being sagacity

ive like quantitative

er, or person who professor, teacher, advisor,

montaineer

less lack of homeless, useless

 osis condition psychosis, hypnosis

ography – ideogram, geography,

ogram writing, description stenography

tude state of fortitude, certitude

Verbos Significado Example

compensate, consecrate,

ate to make mitigate

ify to make quantify, magnify, petrify

capitalize, harmonize,

ize, ise to make revolutionize

kinesis movement telekinesis

Adjetivos Significado Ejemplos

able, ible capable of delectable,portable, legible

acious, icious full of audacious, avaricious,

escent becoming evanescent, pubescent

holic love, addiction alcoholic, workholic

iferous producing, bearing pestiferous, vociferous

il, ile pertaining to , capable of civil, docile

itis disease, inflammation hepatitis, gingivitis

mania an irrational but irresistible kleptomania, megalomania,

motive for a gelief or action mythomania

oid resembling, like avoid, anthropoid

ose full of verbose

ous full of nauseous, ludicrous