Affixes

In order to reduce the number of words one would have to learn in order to speak the language, much of Esperanto’s vocabulary is composed of a comparatively small stock of root words that can be combined with an even smaller group of familiar affixes to create new words as needed.

Note that what constitutes an affix in Esperanto is largely a matter of dictionary tradition at this point, as most non-technical affixes are also roots (e.g. mal- “un-”, malo, “opposite”).

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Official Prefixes

• bo-: Relationship by marriage, -in-law:

  bopatrino	mother-in-law
  bofrato	brother-in-law

• dis-: Separation, dispersion:

  disdoni	to deal out
  disvastigi	to diffuse

• ek-: Commencement, suddenness:

  ekscii	to find out
  ekstari	to stand up

• eks-: Former, ex-:

  eksedzo	ex-husband
  eksulo	has-been

• ge-: Both sexes together:

  gepatroj	parents
  gesinjoroj	ladies and gentlemen

• mal-: The opposite of:

  malinfekti	to disinfect
  malfacila	difficult
  malbona	bad
  malfermi	to open
  maldekstra	left

• mis-: Wrongly, incorrectly:

  misuzi	to misuse
  miskompreni	to misunderstand
  miskalkuli	to miscalculate

• pra-: Primordiality; great-:

  praonklino	great-aunt
  prahistorio	prehistory

• re-: Once more; back:

  refari	to redo
  relegi	to re-read
  redoni	to give back

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Official Suffixes

• -aĉ-: Of low quality:

  belaĉa	tawdry
  aŭtomobilaĉo	jalopy
  skribaĉi	to scrawl

• -ad-: Prolonged, continuous, or repetitive action:

  Li studadas la kvenjan.	He’s been studying Quenya.
  Ŝi senpantalonigadis la fraton.	She kept pantsing her brother.
  Ĉu tabuliĝado ankoraŭ estas populara?	Is planking still a thing?

• -aĵ-: Product, deed, result, part:

  pentraĵo	painting
  majstraĵo	masterpiece
  Ĉu frenezaĵo? Jen Sparto!!!	Madness? This is Sparta!!!

• -an-: Having membership in the country, city, domain, class, or group of:

  Kanadano	Canadian
  Usonana virino	American woman
  policano	policeman
  kristano	Christian

• -ar-: Collective, group:

  anseraro	gaggle of geese
  homaro	mankind
  registaro	government

• -ĉj-: Masculine pet name; inserted after any syllable:

  Mikeĉjo, Miĉjo	Mike
  paĉjo	Dad

• -ebl-: Able to be -ed:

  la nedirebla nomo de Dio	the unspeakable name of God
  disponebla mono	ready cash
  facile legebla	easy to read

• -ec-: Quality or condition:

  amikeco	friendship
  riĉeco	wealth
  kaptiteco	captivity

• -eg-: Great of size, extent, intensity:

  nazego	honker, very large nose
  verdega	deep green
  amegi	to adore

• -ej-: Place allotted to or characterized by:

  manĝejo	dining room, mess hall
  dormejo	dormitory
  prezidentejo	presidential home or palace

• -em-: Disposition, tendency:

  kredema	credulous
  dormema	sleepy
  parolema	talkative

• -end-: Passive obligation:

  pagenda	payable
  farendaĵoj	things to do
  spektenda filmo	must-see movie

• -er-: Small element of a whole:

  pluvero	raindrop
  fajero	spark

• -estr-: chief of:

  lernejestro	headmaster
  ŝipestro	captain
  regnestro	sovereign, head of state

• -et-: Small of size, extent, intensity:

  varmeta	warm
  rivereto	riverlet
  beleta	pretty
  dormeti	to nap

• -id-: Descendant of; young of:

  reĝido	prince
  Izraelido	Israelite
  ĉevalido	colt

• -ig-: Cause to do, cause to be:

  saligi	to salify
  malvarmigi	to cool, chill
  mortigo	killing

• -iĝ-: To become, get:

  Vidiĝos, ke...	It will be seen that...
  Bonvolu sidiĝi.	Please sit down.
  riĉiĝi	to get rich
  edziĝi	to get married, become a husband

• -il-: Tool, implement:

  ludilo	toy
  veturilo	vehicle

• -in-: Femininity:

  bovino	cow
  fratino	sister
  fiulino	strumpet

• -ind-: Worthy of, deserving of:

  laŭdinda	praise-worthy
  murdindulo	man who ought to be murdered

• -ing-: Holder, stand, sheath:

  kandelingo	candlestick
  cigaretingo	cigarette-holder
  elingigi	to unsheathe

• -ism-: Theory, system, party:

  kristanismo	Christianity
  darvinismo	Darwinism
  socialismo	socialism

• -ist-: Professional; enthusiastic amateur; adherent, partisan; habitual doer:

  ŝtelisto	thief
  motorciklisto	motorcyclist
  komunisto	communist

• -nj-: Feminine pet name; inserted after any syllable:

  Katerinjo, Kanjo	Kathy
  panjo	Mom

• -obl-: Multiple of:

  duoble	doubly
  triobla	triple

• -on-: Fractional number:

  sesono de sia sentoj	a sixth of one’s senses
  tri kvinonoj de homo	three fifths of a man

• -op-: In groups of:

  duope	two by two
  triopo	pack of three

• -uj-: Container, receptacle:

  krajonujo	pencil box
  keksujo	cookie jar

• -ul-: Person:

  kontraŭulo	adversary
  vertebrulo	vertebrate
  babilulo	chatterbox

• -um-: No fixed meaning:

  nazumo	pince-nez
  orelumo	earring
  malvarmumi	to catch cold
  plenumi	to fulfill
  krucumo	crucifixion
  umdek	umpteen
  umi	to do something unspecified, do whatever

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Unofficial Suffixes

• -ab-: Installation:

  lavabo	sink
  necesabo	toilet
  urinabo	urinal

• -ac-: (bot) Name of a family, -aceae:

  salikacoj	Salicaceae
  liliacoj	Liliaceae

• -al-: (bot) Name of an order, -ales:

  lilialoj	Liliales
  malpigialoj	Malpighiales

• -al-: (chem) Aldehyde, -al:

  metanalo	methanal
  etanalo	ethanal

• -algi-: (med) Pain, -algia:

  neŭralgio	neuralgia
  cefalalgio	cefalalgia

• -an-: (chem) Saturated hydrocarbon, -ane:

  metano	methane
  butano	butane

• -at-: (chem) Salt or ester of -ic acid, -ate:

  sulfato	sulfate
  kalcia karbonato	calcium carbonate

• -ator-: Machine, -ator; often interchangeable with -il-:

  transformatoro	transformer
  generatoro	generator

• -ed-: (zool) Name of family, -idae:

  araneedo	Arachnid
  karabedo	Carabid

• -en-: (chem) Unsaturated hydrocarbon, -ene:

  menteno	menthene
  buteno	butene

• -en-: (zool) Name of subfamily, -inae:

  marmotenoj	Xerinae
  gerbilenoj	Gerbillinae

• -esk-: (lit) In the manner of, -esque:

  japaneska	Japanesque
  kafkeska	Kafkaesque

• -graf-: -ographer:

  geografo	geographer
  biografo	biographer

• -i-: Domain under the authority of:

  Ĉinio	China
  Anglio	England

• -i-: Science, theory, study, art, system of the person or thing that does that work:

  biologio	biology
  demokratio	democracy

• -icid-: (bio) Substance that kills, -icide:

  fungicido	fungicide
  insekticido	insecticide

• -id-: (chem) -ide:

  klorido	chloride
  cianido	cyanide

• -ik-: Art, science, skill:

  stilistiko	stylistics
  robotiko	robotics

• -ik-: (chem) Salt, -ic:

  ferika klorido	ferric chloride
  kuprika sulfato	cupric sulfate

• -il-: (chem) Alkyl, -yl:

  metilo	methyl
  butilo	butyl

• -iliard-: A thousand times a million to the power expressed by the root:

  duiliardo	quadrillion (1015)
  triiliard	sextillion (1021)

• -ilion-: A million to the power expressed by the root:

  duiliono	trillion (1012)
  triiliono	quintillion (1018)

• -in-: (chem) Acetylenic hydrocarbon, -yne:

  metino	methyne
  butino	butyne

• -it-: (chem) Salt of -ous acid, -ite:

  klorito	chlorite
  nitrito	nitrito

• -it-: (med) Inflammation, -itis:

  bronkito	bronchitis
  laringito	laryngitis

• -iv-: Capability:

  instruiva	instructive
  pagiva	solvent

• -iz-: Provide with; apply to:

  kolorizi	colorize
  pasteŭrizi	pasteurize

• -log-: -ologist:

  zoologo	zoologist
  filologo	philologist

• -metr-: -(o)meter:

  aplaŭdometro	clap-o-meter
  rapidometro	speedometer

• -oid-: -oid; sometimes written -ojd-:

  elipsoido	elipsoid
  naŭtiloido	nautiloid

• -oide-: (bot) Name of a subfamily, -oideae:

  orkidoideoj	Orchidoideae
  rozoideoj	Rosoideae

• -oide-: (zool) Name of a superfamily, -oideae:

  homoideo

  Hominoidea

• -ol-: (chem) Alcohol, phenol, -ol:

  mentolo	menthol
  metanolo	methanol

• -om-: (med) Tumor:

  hepatomo	hepatoma
  fibromo	fibroma

• -on-: (chem) Ketone, -one:

  propanono	propanone
  heksanono	hexanone

• -oz-: (chem) Salt, -ous:

  feroza klorido	ferrous chloride
  kuproza sulfato	cuprous sulfate

• -oz-: (med) Disease, -osis:

  trombozo	thrombosis
  tuberkulozo	tuberculosis

• -oz-: Abundance, -ous:

  ŝtonoza	stony
  poroza	porous

• -skop-: -oscope:

  rektumoskopo	proctoscope
  galvanoskopo	galvanoscope

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