Wortbildung – Word formation with prefixes & suffixes
🔍 1. What is Wortbildung?
📌 Wortbildung is the process of creating new words by:
- Adding a prefix (Präfix) at the beginning
- Adding a suffix (Suffix) at the end
- Combining simple words into compound words (Komposita)
💡 Understanding this helps you:
- Guess the meaning of unknown words
- Double your vocabulary growth
- Write academic texts more precisely
📘 2. Creating words with prefixes (Präfixe)
🔹 A. Verb prefixes (Verb-Präfixe)
| Prefix | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ver- | error, completion, loss | verlieren (to lose), verbessern (to improve) |
| be- | creates direct object | bearbeiten (to process), besuchen (to visit) |
| ent- | remove, start separating | entlassen (to dismiss), entdecken (to discover) |
| zer- | break completely | zerstören (to destroy), zerbrechen (to shatter) |
| er- | achieve, succeed | erreichen (to achieve), erfahren (to experience) |
| miss- | wrong, negative | missverstehen (to misunderstand), missachten (to ignore) |
📌 Note:
- A prefix can completely change the meaning of a verb
- Some prefixes are separable (e.g. aufstehen), some inseparable (e.g. verstehen)
📘 3. Creating words with suffixes (Suffixe)
🔹 A. Noun suffixes (Nomen-Suffixe)
| Suffix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ung | process / result of an action | Entscheidung (decision), Bewerbung (application) |
| -heit / -keit | quality (adj → noun) | Freiheit (freedom), Möglichkeit (possibility) |
| -er / -erin | profession, person | Lehrer (teacher), Bäckerin (female baker) |
| -ismus | doctrine / system | Kapitalismus (capitalism), Feminismus (feminism) |
| -schaft | group, state | Wissenschaft (science), Freundschaft (friendship) |
🔹 B. Adjective suffixes (Adjektiv-Suffixe)
| Suffix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -lich | having the quality of | möglich (possible), freundlich (friendly) |
| -bar | able to (passive sense) | sichtbar (visible), lösbar (solvable) |
| -frei | without | zuckerfrei (sugar-free), alkoholfrei (alcohol-free) |
| -haft | characterized by | dauerhaft (lasting), arbeitslos (unemployed) |
| -los | without | arbeitslos (unemployed), hilflos (helpless) |
🔹 C. Verb suffixes (Verb-Suffixe)
| Suffix | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ieren | academic, international form | studieren (to study), analysieren (to analyze) |
| -eln / -ern | gentle / repetitive action | lächeln (to smile), plaudern (to chat) |
📘 4. Creating compound words (Komposita)
📌 Combine 2 nouns to form a new word → very common in German!
| Compound | Root 1 | Root 2 | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hausaufgabe | Haus (house) | Aufgabe (task) | homework |
| Sprachkurs | Sprache (language) | Kurs (course) | language course |
| Flugticket | Flug (flight) | Ticket (ticket) | plane ticket |
💡 The last noun determines the gender (der/die/das) and plural form
🧠 5. How to learn words effectively with Wortbildung
✅ When you see a new word, break it down:
Unfreundlichkeit
→ un- (negative) + freundlich (friendly) + -keit → "unfriendliness"
Verarbeitung
→ ver- + arbeiten + -ung → "processing"
🔧 6. Common mistakes
| ❌ Wrong | ✅ Correct | 📌 Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Die Bewerbung ist möglich. | Die Bewerbung wurde abgeschickt. | “möglich” is an adjective, a noun is needed |
| Er ist ein Arbeitlos. | Er ist arbeitslos. | "arbeitslos" is an adjective, not a noun |
| Ich habe eine Freundschaft mit sie. | Ich habe eine Freundschaft mit ihr. | Wrong dative pronoun |
📝 7. Quick summary
- Wortbildung = creating new words with prefixes, suffixes or by compounding
- Helps expand vocabulary fast & guess meanings accurately
- Distinguish:
- ver-, be-, ent-, er- → prefixes that change verb meanings
- -ung, -heit, -keit, -bar, -lich → common suffixes
- In compounds: the last part determines gender and declension
- Practice by analyzing new words instead of rote memorization