in-: the opposite of an adjective
Spanish makes many opposites with in-, much like English un- / in-: útil → inútil, cómodo → incómodo, feliz → infeliz, correcto → incorrecto.
| This knife is useless: it doesn't cut anything. | Este cuchillo es inútil: no corta nada. |
| He was rich, but unhappy. | Era rico, pero infeliz. |
im-, i-, ir-
The prefix adapts its spelling to the next letter:
| before | prefix | example |
|---|---|---|
| p, b | im- | posible → imposible |
| l | i- | lógico → ilógico, limitado → ilimitado |
| r | ir- | responsable → irresponsable |
| n | in- (two n's) | necesario → innecesario |
| m | in- (never imm-) | maduro → inmaduro |
| It's impossible to park in the center. | Es imposible aparcar en el centro. |
| It's illogical that the train is more expensive than the plane. | Es ilógico que el tren sea más caro que el avión. |
Before a word that starts with the sound i (i-, hi-), y usually becomes e.
| He is an irresponsible and immature person. | Es una persona irresponsable e inmadura. |
des-: undoing
On adjectives, des- also makes an opposite: agradable → desagradable, contento → descontento. On verbs it reverses the action: atar → desatar, abrochar → desabrochar, conectar → desconectar.
| The clients are dissatisfied with the service. | Los clientes están descontentos con el servicio. |
| I can't undo this button. | No puedo desabrochar este botón. |
Common mistake
- Not every adjective takes a prefix: the opposite of bueno is malo, and of caro, barato. When you are unsure, poco
- adjective is often a safe way out: poco útil, poco agradable.
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