Back
Advanced

Derivation & Word Formation

Prefixes, suffixes and compounding

Common prefixes: o-, miss-, åter-, för-

o- = un-/not; miss- = mis-; åter- = re-; för- can intensify or reverse.

📊 Word formation
Method Example Meaning
prefix o- ohälsosam unhealthy
prefix miss- misstag mistake
prefix åter- återvända to return
suffix -ig hungrig hungry
suffix -ning läsning reading
suffix -are -lärare teacher
suffix -else känsla (from känna) feeling
compounding simhall swimming hall = public pool
compounding barnbok children's book
💬 Examples
lycklig → olycklig / förstå → missförstå
happy → unhappy / understand → misunderstand
📝 o- (negation) / miss- (error)
vända → återvända / tappa → förtappa
return / lose completely
📝 åter- = re-; för- intensifies
Suffixes -ig, -ning and -are are highly productive

-ig turns nouns into adjectives; -ning nominalizes verbs; -are forms agent nouns.

💬 Examples
hunger → hungrig / sol → solig
hungry / sunny
📝 -ig: noun → adjective
läsa → läsning / skriva → skrivning
reading / writing
📝 -ning: verb → process noun
Swedish freely compounds nouns into long single words

Components are joined without spaces, and the first element modifies the second.

💬 Examples
simhall / barnbok / järnvägsstationen
swimming pool / children's book / the railway station
📝 Swedish compounds have no spaces
fotbollslandslaget
the national football team
📝 compound: fotboll + lands + lag + -et