fi-
Fi-: Shameful
Fi- turns a word into something you find shameful.
How It Works
| Word | With fi- | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ulo | fiulo | scoundrel |
| vorto | fivorto | bad word, swear word |
| insekto | fiinsekto | vermin |
| gazeto | figazeto | nasty magazine |
The prefix fi- shows that the speaker is angry or disgusted. It is a personal judgment, while -aĉ- is more about quality.
The prefix also goes before adjectives: fifama means infamous, famous for shameful reasons. Because fi- is so strong, use it only when you really feel disgust or blame and want the listener to know it.
Some words begin with fi but do not have the prefix. Fiŝo is the root for fish.
Examples (5)
- Fi! Tiu supo odoras terure.
Yuck! That soup smells terrible.
Fi on its own is a cry of disgust.
- Li estas fiulo, kiu mensogas al siaj amikoj.
He is a scoundrel who lies to his friends.
Fiulo is a person you find morally bad.
- La fivorto de la vendisto ĝenis la gastojn.
The salesman's swear word bothered the guests.
Fivorto is a word you find shameful.
- Lars legas figazeton en la trajno.
Lars is reading a nasty magazine on the train.
Figazeto is a magazine that the speaker despises.
- Tiu fiinsekto manĝas la plantojn en nia ĝardeno.
That vermin eats the plants in our garden.
Fiinsekto is an insect that people dislike.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Fi- marks something shameful.
Related Patterns
Practice fi- in Bubblegum
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