Preliminary Steps: Esi-
You can easily modify the meaning of nouns, adjectives, or verbs by attaching a short prefix to the beginning. The prefix esi- means "pre-", "preliminary", or "fore-".
| Did you fill out the patient's preliminary information before the preliminary examination? | Täytitkö potilaan esitiedot ennen esitutkimusta? |
| The preliminary examination revealed that the illness is still in the preliminary stage. | Esitutkimus paljasti, että sairaus on vielä esivaiheessa. |
Too Much or Too Little: Yli- and Ali-
Use yli- (over, excess) and ali- (under) to describe extremes in measurements or conditions.
| Excess weight often causes overstrain of the heart. | Ylipaino aiheuttaa usein sydämen ylirasitusta. |
| The patient is underweight and perhaps also undernourished. | Potilas on alipainoinen ja ehkä myös aliravittu. |
These prefixes aren't limited to physical measurements. For example, ali- can attach to verbs to mean "under-" (aliarvioida = to underestimate), and yli- can attach to adjectives to mean "hyper-" (yliherkkä = hypersensitive).
| It is easy for the patient to underestimate a new illness. | Potilaan on helppo aliarvioida uusi sairaus. |
| I am hypersensitive to this new medicine. | Olen yliherkkä tälle uudelle lääkkeelle. |
| Never underestimate the symptoms if you are hypersensitive to the medicine. | Älä koskaan aliarvioi oireita, jos olet yliherkkä lääkkeelle. |
Have a Backup: Vara-
If a primary plan or resource fails, you need a reserve. The prefix vara- means "backup", "spare", or "substitute".
| Because your own doctor is away, the substitute doctor will treat you. | Koska oma lääkäri on poissa, varalääkäri hoitaa sinut. |
| We must always have a backup plan and a backup medicine. | Meillä pitää aina olla varasuunnitelma ja varalääke. |
The Chief: Yli-
The versatile prefix yli- has one more important job. In professional titles, it means "chief", "head", or "senior". For instance, an ylilääkäri is a chief physician.
| The chief physician asked if the patient is overweight. | Ylilääkäri kysyi, onko potilaalla ylipainoa. |
| Even though you are hypersensitive, the backup medicine is safe. | Vaikka olet yliherkkä, varalääke on turvallinen. |
