Spanish suffixes, roots, and prefixes

This should help increase your understanding and vocabulary of spanish

habl-

Speak (hablar = to speak; hablante = speaker)

hac- / hag- / hech-

Do; make (hacer = to do/make; deshacer = to undo; hecho = done/fact)

pon- / pong- / puest-

Put; place (poner = to put; pongo = I put; puesto = placed)

ven- / veng- / vin-

Come (venir = to come; vengo = I come; vino = he/she came)

volv- / vuelv- / vuelt-

Turn; return (volver = to return; devuelvo = I give back; vuelta = turn)

llev-

Carry; take (llevar = to carry; llevadero = bearable)

tra- / traig- / traj-

Bring (traer = to bring; traigo = I bring; trajo = he/she brought)

busc-

Seek; search (buscar = to look for; búsqueda = search)

hall-

Find (hallar = to find; hallazgo = discovery)

guard-

Keep; protect (guardar = to keep; guardabosques = forest ranger)

dej-

Leave; let; allow (dejar = to leave/allow; dejadez = neglect)

aprovech-

Make use of; take advantage of (aprovechar = to make use of; desaprovechar = to waste an opportunity)

crec- / crezc-

Grow (crecer = to grow; crecimiento = growth; crezco = I grow)

nac- / nazc-

Be born; arise (nacer = to be born; nacimiento = birth; nazco = I am born)

viv-

Live (vivir = to live; vivienda = housing; convivir = to live together)

mor- / muer- / muert-

Die; death (morir = to die; muerte = death; muerto = dead)

quer- / quier- / quis-

Want; love (querer = to want/love; quiero = I want; quiso = he/she wanted)

sent- / sient- / sint-

Feel (sentir = to feel; sentimiento = feeling; sintió = he/she felt)

pens- / piens-

Think (pensar = to think; pensamiento = thought; pienso = I think)

sab- / sep- / sup-

Know (saber = to know; sabiduría = wisdom; supe = I found out)

conoc- / conozc-

Know; recognize; be acquainted with (conocer = to know; desconocido = unknown/stranger; conozco = I know)

cre-

Believe (creer = to believe; creencia = belief; creíble = believable)

confi-

Trust (confiar = to trust; confianza = trust; desconfiado = distrustful)

engañ-

Deceive (engañar = to deceive; engaño = deception; desengaño = disillusionment)

olvid-

Forget (olvidar = to forget; olvido = forgetting; olvidadizo = forgetful)

record- / recuerd-

Remember (recordar = to remember; recuerdo = memory/keepsake)

alegr-

Happiness; joy (alegre = happy; alegría = joy; alegrarse = to be glad)

trist-

Sadness (triste = sad; tristeza = sadness; entristecer = to sadden)

tem-

Fear (temer = to fear; temor = fear; temeroso = fearful)

quej-

Complain (quejarse = to complain; queja = complaint; quejumbroso = whiny)

rog- / rueg-

Beg; plead (rogar = to beg; ruego = plea)

honr-

Honor (honra = honor; honrado = honorable/honest; deshonra = dishonor)

anch-

Wide (ancho = wide; anchura = width; ensanchar = to widen)

estrech-

Narrow; tight (estrecho = narrow; estrechez = narrowness/hardship; estrechar = to tighten)

larg-

Long (largo = long; alargar = to lengthen; largura = length)

oscur-

Dark (oscuro = dark; oscuridad = darkness; oscurecer = to grow dark)

hermos-

Beautiful (hermoso = beautiful; hermosura = beauty)

ásper- / asper-

Rough (áspero = rough; aspereza = roughness)

manch-

Stain (mancha = stain; manchar = to stain; manchado = stained)

pes-

Weight; weigh (peso = weight; pesar = to weigh; pesado = heavy)

hoj-

Leaf; sheet (hoja = leaf/sheet; hojear = to leaf through; hojarasca = fallen leaves)

leñ-

Firewood (leña = firewood; leñador = woodcutter; leñera = woodshed)

tierr- / terr-

Earth; land (tierra = earth; terreno = plot of land; enterrar = to bury)

lluv- / llov- / lluev-

Rain (lluvia = rain; llover = to rain; llueve = it rains)

pan-

Bread (pan = bread; panadero = baker; panadería = bakery)

reloj-

Clock; watch (reloj = clock/watch; relojero = watchmaker; relojería = watch shop)

des-

Undo; remove; reverse; lack (desatar = to untie; desarmar = to take apart; desconfiar = to distrust)

re-

Again; back; sometimes intensification (releer = to reread; rehacer = to redo; recargar = to reload/overload)

in- / im- / i- / ir-

Not; opposite of (incapaz = incapable; imposible = impossible; ilegal = illegal; irreal = unreal)

a-

Lack of, in some words; make or become, in other formations (atípico = atypical; alargar = to lengthen)

ante-

Before; in front of (anteayer = the day before yesterday; antebrazo = forearm)

pre-

Before; beforehand (predecir = to predict; precalentar = to preheat)

pos- / post-

After (posguerra = postwar period; posponer = to postpone)

sobre-

Over; above; excessively (sobrecargar = to overload; sobrevolar = to fly over)

sub-

Under; below (subsuelo = subsoil; submarino = underwater/submarine)

entre-

Between; partly (entrecejo = space between the eyebrows; entreabrir = to open slightly)

contra-

Against; opposing (contradecir = to contradict; contrapeso = counterweight)

sin-

Without; lack of (sinvergüenza = shameless person; sinsentido = nonsense)

con- / co-

Together; jointly (convivir = to live together; coautor = coauthor)

inter-

Between; among (intercambiar = to exchange; interponer = to place between)

tras- / trans-

Across; beyond; movement to another place (traspasar = to cross/pass through; transportar = to transport)

en- / em-

Put into; make or become (encerrar = to shut in; embotellar = to bottle; ensuciar = to make dirty)

-miento

Action; process; result (crecimiento = growth; sufrimiento = suffering)

-ción / -sión

Action; process; result (desaparición = disappearance; comprensión = understanding)

-dad / -idad

Quality; state (igualdad = equality; soledad = solitude; oscuridad = darkness)

-eza / -ez

Quality; state (tristeza = sadness; pobreza = poverty; honradez = honesty)

-ura

Quality; state; result (hermosura = beauty; anchura = width)

-anza

Action; result; state (enseñanza = teaching; confianza = trust; esperanza = hope)

-aje

Action; collection; associated result (aprendizaje = learning; ramaje = branches collectively)

-dor / -dora

Person or device performing an action (vendedor = seller; secador = dryer; amortiguador = shock absorber)

-ero / -era

Occupation; associated object or place (relojero = watchmaker; lechero = milk seller; leñera = woodshed)

-ista

Occupation; activity; affiliation (periodista = journalist; deportista = athlete)

-ería

Shop; trade; associated place (panadería = bakery; librería = bookstore; relojería = watch shop)

-adero / -edero / -idero

Often a place or object associated with an action (lavadero = washing place; comedero = feeding trough; sumidero = drain)

-oso / -osa

Having; full of; characterized by (barroso = muddy; temeroso = fearful; lluvioso = rainy)

-ble

Capable of being; able to (soportable = bearable; legible = readable)

-izo / -iza

Tendency; resemblance; characteristic (olvidadizo = forgetful; rojizo = reddish)

-nte

Doing; characterized by an action (ardiente = burning; creciente = growing; hablante = speaker)

-mente

Adverb ending; often equivalent to English “-ly” (lentamente = slowly; tristemente = sadly)

-ado / -ido

Often a completed action or resulting state (manchado = stained; perdido = lost)

-ito / -ita

Smallness; affection; softening (casita = little house; momentito = a little moment)

-illo / -illa

Often smallness; sometimes a specialized meaning (ventanilla = small/service window; mesilla = small table)

-ón / -ona

Largeness; intensity; habitual behavior (cabezón = big-headed/stubborn; llorón = crybaby)

-azo / -aza

Intensity; largeness; a blow (golpazo = heavy blow; portazo = door slam)

-ucho / -ucha

Often dismissive or negative (casucha = shabby little house; pueblucho = miserable little town)

-ecer

Become; cause to become (oscurecer = to grow dark; entristecer = to sadden)

-izar

Make; turn into (suavizar = to soften; profundizar = to deepen)

-ear

Perform an associated action (hojear = to leaf through; golpear = to hit)