Prefixes and Suffixes (Upsarg and Pratyay)
Overview
Prefixes and suffixes form the backbone of word formation in both Hindi and English. In Hindi, these are known as **upsarg** (उपसर्ग) and **pratyay** (प्रत्यय) respectively. Understanding how new words are created by adding elements before or after root words is essential for vocabulary building, comprehension, and grammar questions in JTET Language I.
This topic appears consistently in JTET papers, typically carrying 2–4 marks. Questions may ask you to identify the prefix/suffix in a given word, form new words using specific upsarg/pratyay, or determine the meaning change caused by adding these elements. Mastery here directly improves your performance in vocabulary, word categories, and reading comprehension sections.
Students must learn the common prefixes and suffixes in both Hindi and English, recognize how they modify the meaning or grammatical function of words, and practice forming new words systematically.
Key Concepts
- **Upsarg (Prefix)** is a meaningful element added **before** the root word (mool shabd). It changes the meaning but typically retains the original grammatical category. Example: अ + न्याय = अन्याय (injustice).
- **Pratyay (Suffix)** is added **after** the root word. It can change both meaning and the grammatical category of the word. Example: मीठा + आस = मिठास (sweetness — adjective becomes noun).
- Hindi prefixes come from three sources: **Sanskrit** (अ, अन, प्र, वि, उप, परा, अप, सु, दुर्), **Hindi origin** (अ, अन, भर, चौ, उन), and **Urdu/Persian/Arabic** (ब, बद, ला, खुश, हम, दर, कम).
- English prefixes indicate negation (un-, in-, dis-, mis-), repetition (re-), degree (super-, sub-, over-), or relationship (pre-, post-, anti-).
- Hindi pratyay are classified as **Krit pratyay** (added to verb roots — आई, आवट, आन, आव) and **Taddhit pratyay** (added to nouns/adjectives — ता, त्व, पन, आई, ई).
- English suffixes change word class: noun-forming (-tion, -ness, -ment), adjective-forming (-ful, -less, -able), verb-forming (-ize, -ify), and adverb-forming (-ly).
- Multiple prefixes or suffixes can attach to a single root, creating layered meanings. Example: dis + agree + ment = disagreement.
- Learning root words with their common prefix/suffix families accelerates vocabulary acquisition more efficiently than memorizing isolated words.
Formulas / Key Facts
### Hindi Upsarg (Prefixes)
| Upsarg | Meaning | Example | |--------|---------|---------| | अ | absence/negation | अ + धर्म = अधर्म (unrighteous) | | अन | negation (before vowel) | अन + आदर = अनादर (disrespect) | | प्र | forward/excess | प्र + गति = प्रगति (progress) | | वि | special/opposite | वि + ज्ञान = विज्ञान (science) | | उप | near/secondary | उप + मंत्री = उपमंत्री (deputy minister) | | सु | good | सु + पुत्र = सुपुत्र (good son) | | दुर्/दुस् | bad/difficult | दुर् + गम = दुर्गम (inaccessible) | | बद (Urdu) | bad | बद + नाम = बदनाम (infamous) | | ला (Urdu) | without | ला + पता = लापता (missing) |