Forming Adjectives With Prefixes and Suffixes

In German, like in many other languages, prefixes and suffixes are commonly used to form new adjectives. These affixes can change the meaning of the base word and create a new word with a different meaning.

For example, "un-" (meaning "not"):

Forming Adjectives With Prefixes and Suffixes

In German, we form adjectives from many nouns, verbs, and other adjectives with the help of prefixes and suffixes.

Rule 1: The prefixes "in-," "des-," and "un-" form the opposite of some adjectives.

Rule 2: With the endings "-lich" and "-bar," we express that something is possible by forming an adjective from a verb.

Rule 3: The endings "-ig," "-isch," "-los," "-sam," "-voll," "-haft" form adjectives out of nouns.