des- / re- / in-

Word Formation with Prefixes

Level 4

Add a prefix to the front of a word to change its meaning: des- undoes, re- repeats and in- means not. facer → desfacer, ler → reler, posible → imposible.

How It Works

Des-: undoing or the opposite

  • facer (to do) → desfacer (to undo, to unpack)
  • coñecido (known) → descoñecido (unknown)
  • leal (loyal) → desleal (disloyal)

Re-: doing something again

  • ler (to read) → reler (to read again)
  • facer → refacer (to redo, to rebuild)

In-: not

This prefix goes mostly on adjectives: xusto → inxusto (unfair). It changes shape before some sounds:

  • im- before p and b: imposible, imbatible
  • i- before l: ilegal
  • ir- before r, which then doubles: irreal, irresponsable

Build on the Galician word. A prefixed word keeps the Galician form of its base. Facer gives desfacer, which conjugates just like facer: desfago, desfixen. Ler gives reler, with a single e. Spanish-shaped forms such as deshacer or releer are not Galician.

Suffixes work the same way at the other end of the word; see suffixes.

Examples (6)

  1. Tiven que desfacer a maleta nada máis chegar.

    I had to unpack my suitcase as soon as I arrived.

    Desfacer is facer with des-: it undoes the packing.

  2. Chamoume un número descoñecido.

    An unknown number called me.

    Des- turns coñecido (known) into its opposite.

  3. Sempre relemos os apuntes antes do exame.

    We always reread our notes before the exam.

    Reler is ler with re-; it conjugates like ler.

  4. É imposible chegar a tempo con este tráfico.

    It is impossible to arrive on time with this traffic.

    In- becomes im- before p.

  5. Iso que che fixeron foi moi inxusto.

    What they did to you was very unfair.

    In- plus xusto gives inxusto.

  6. Aparcar aquí é ilegal.

    Parking here is illegal.

    Before l, in- is reduced to i-.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the Spanish form releer instead of reler.

    Tes que releer o texto.
    Tes que reler o texto.

    The base verb is ler, so the prefixed verb is reler, with a single e.

  • Building des- on a Spanish verb.

    Aínda non deshixen a maleta.
    Aínda non desfixen a maleta.

    Galician says facer, so it says desfacer. Its preterite follows fixen: desfixen.

  • Keeping in- before l.

    Iso é inlegal.
    Iso é ilegal.

    Before l the prefix is just i-: ilegal.

Words in This Pattern

re-