Common Prefixes

Level 5

A prefix changes the meaning and is written as part of the word.

How It Works

Prefixes are small pieces added to the front of a word. These three are very common.

PrefixMeaningExample
ne-not, un-moguć, nemoguć
bez-withoutbriga, bezbrižan
pre-too much, over, acrossvelik, prevelik

More examples: zadovoljan, nezadovoljan; zvučan, bezvučan; skup, preskup (too expensive); seliti, preseliti (move house).

With adjectives and nouns, ne- is written together with the word: nemoguć, nered (mess). In a contrast, writers sometimes keep ne apart from an adjective for emphasis, as in ne velik, nego mali. With a verb it is a separate word: ne radim. A few verbs fuse it in the present: nemam, neću, nisam.

Watch out: pre- has more than one meaning. In prevelik it means "too", but in prepisati it means "copy over" or "rewrite". Check the dictionary, and do not guess the meaning from the prefix alone.

Examples (5)

  1. Taj zadatak je nemoguć.

    That task is impossible.

    Ne- gives the opposite.

  2. Ajla je bezbrižna.

    Ajla is carefree.

    Bez- means without; briga is worry.

  3. Ova jakna je prevelika.

    This jacket is too big.

    Pre- adds the idea of too much.

  4. Stan u centru je preskup.

    The flat in the centre is too expensive.

    Preskup means far too expensive.

  5. Haris je nezadovoljan ocjenom.

    Haris is not happy with the grade.

    Nezadovoljan is the opposite of zadovoljan.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing ne- apart from an adjective.

    Ne moguć zadatak.
    Nemoguć zadatak.

    With adjectives, ne- is part of the word.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Common PrefixesLevel 5

Learn This First

Negative and other prefixes.

Words in This Pattern

ne-bez-pre-mogućnemogućprevelikbrigabezbrižan