Common Prefixes

Spanish prefixes let you transform a word you already know into many related words. Once you learn a handful of them, your vocabulary expands dramatically because the same prefixes attach to hundreds of verbs, nouns, and adjectives. Most Spanish prefixes come from Latin, so they often resemble their English counterparts.

Negation: des-, in-, im-

The prefix des- usually reverses or undoes the meaning of a word, much like English un- or dis-. It attaches mostly to verbs and adjectives.

Necesito deshacer la maleta antes de cenar.

I need to unpack the suitcase before dinner.

Esa información es completamente desconocida para mí.

That information is completely unknown to me.

The prefixes in- and im- express negation before adjectives. Use im- before p or b, and in- elsewhere. Before l or r, the prefix often becomes i- (as in ilegal, irreal).

Es imposible llegar a tiempo con este tráfico.

It's impossible to arrive on time with this traffic.

Repetition and Anticipation: re-, pre-

The prefix re- means again and attaches freely to verbs. It is one of the most productive prefixes in everyday Spanish.

Voy a releer el capítulo porque no entendí el final.

I'm going to reread the chapter because I didn't understand the ending.

The prefix pre- means before and usually appears with verbs and nouns related to time or order.

El meteorólogo predijo lluvia para el fin de semana.

The weather forecaster predicted rain for the weekend.

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The prefix re- can also act as an intensifier in colloquial Spanish: rebueno means really good, and recontento means super happy. You'll hear this especially in Mexico and the Southern Cone.

Opposition and Position: anti-, sub-, super-

Anti- expresses opposition, just like in English. Sub- means under or below, and super- means above or super.

El submarino descendió lentamente hacia el fondo del mar.

The submarine descended slowly toward the bottom of the sea.

Compré fruta fresca en el supermercado del barrio.

I bought fresh fruit at the neighborhood supermarket.

Self-reference and Numbers: auto-, bi-, tri-

The prefix auto- means self, and it combines with nouns and verbs. Note that when attached to a word beginning with r, the r doubles: autorretrato, autorregulación.

La artista pintó un autorretrato muy expresivo.

The artist painted a very expressive self-portrait.

The numerical prefixes bi- (two) and tri- (three) work just like in English: bilingüe (bilingual), bicicleta (bicycle), trimestre (trimester), triángulo (triangle).

Mi hija es bilingüe: habla español e inglés desde pequeña.

My daughter is bilingual: she has spoken Spanish and English since she was little.

Summary Table

PrefixMeaningBase WordDerived Word
des-un-, oppositehacerdeshacer
in- / im-notposibleimposible
re-againleerreleer
pre-beforedecirpredecir
anti-againstsocialantisocial
sub-undermarinosubmarino
super-abovemercadosupermercado
auto-selfretratoautorretrato
bi-twolingüebilingüe
tri-threeángulotriángulo
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When you encounter an unfamiliar Spanish word, try stripping off any prefix you recognize. If the remaining stem looks familiar, you can usually guess the meaning without a dictionary.

Once you internalize these prefixes, you can move on to noun-forming suffixes to build even more vocabulary from the same roots.

Related Topics

  • Noun-Forming SuffixesB1 — Build Spanish nouns from verbs and adjectives using the most productive noun suffixes, and learn the gender patterns each one follows.
  • Adjective-Forming SuffixesB1 — Create Spanish adjectives from nouns and verbs using productive suffixes, including patterns for nationalities and places of origin.
  • Cognate Patterns (-tion → -ción)B1 — Transform thousands of English words into correct Spanish by applying systematic sound correspondences between the two languages.