Upsarg and Pratyay — Study Notes

Overview

Upsarg (उपसर्ग) and Pratyay (प्रत्यय) are the two fundamental devices of word-formation in Hindi. Understanding them is essential for UPTET because they appear directly in grammar questions and indirectly help you decode unfamiliar words in comprehension passages. Examiners often give a root word (mool shabd) and ask you to identify the prefix or suffix added, or they present a derived word and expect you to break it into its components.

Mastering this topic sharpens your vocabulary, improves your speed in solving grammar MCQs, and strengthens your ability to teach word-formation to primary and upper-primary students. Both Paper I and Paper II candidates must be comfortable with common Sanskrit-origin (tatsam), Hindi-origin (tadbhav), and a handful of Urdu/foreign-origin prefixes and suffixes.

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Key Concepts

• **Upsarg (Prefix):** A meaningful element added *before* a root word to modify or extend its meaning. It cannot stand alone as a word. Example: "अ + न्याय = अन्याय" (injustice).

• **Pratyay (Suffix):** A meaningful element added *after* a root word to form a new word, often changing its grammatical class (noun → adjective, verb → noun, etc.). Example: "मीठा + आस = मिठास" (sweetness).

• **Mool Shabd (Root Word):** The base word to which upsarg or pratyay is attached. Identifying the root is the first step in any question.

• **Sanskrit Upsarg:** Hindi borrows many prefixes from Sanskrit — *a, an, su, ku, dur, vi, pra, prati, anu, abhi, ut, upa,* etc.

• **Hindi (Tadbhav) Upsarg:** Native Hindi prefixes are fewer — *अ, अन, भर, उन, कु, स, चौ,* etc.

• **Urdu/Arabic/Persian Upsarg:** Common in everyday Hindi — *बे, बद, हर, ला, ख़ुश, ग़ैर, ना, बा,* etc.

• **Krit Pratyay:** Suffixes added to verb roots (धातु) to form nouns/adjectives — *अक, आई, आव, आवट, आहट, ई, वाला,* etc.