5.22 Word formation — prefixes, suffixes, compounds — Epoché
What you will be able to do Break an unknown French word into its parts: prefix, root and suffix, and work out its meaning. Use the commonest prefixes: re- , dé- , in- and its forms, mal- , sur- , sous- , contre- . Use the suffixes that make people, trees, actions, qualities and possibilities, and predict the gender they give. Understand French compounds, including those that put the verb first: le tire-bouchon , le lave-vaisselle , le gratte-ciel . Sentences from this lesson, before the explanation. Read the French aloud; all of them come back below. French English Son passe-temps est la collection de vieux timbres. [1] His hobby is collecting old stamps. J’aimerais voir votre collection de timbres. [2] I would like to have a look at your collection of stamps. As-tu vidé le lave-vaisselle ? [3] Did you empty the dishwasher? C'était un vieil homme désagréable. [4] He was a disagreeable old man. La machine à écrire est rangée au sous-sol. [5] The typewriter is stored in the basement. Il est plus aisé aux riches de s'enrichir. [6] It's easier for the rich to get richer. Ton écriture est illisible. [7] Your writing is illegible. Prerequisites : 5.21 — this is the last vocabulary lesson of the phase, after 5.21 Vocabulary . The shared endings of 5.19 Vocabulary were a first step; this lesson gives the whole toolkit, and the readings that follow, from 7.17 Reading on, will give you many unknown words to try it on. No learner can memorise every word of a language, and the readings of this phase contain thousands you have not been taught. But most French words are built from a smaller stock of parts, and the parts are regular. If you know croire , to believe, and the suffix -able , and the prefix in- , you can read incroyable without a dictionary. This lesson gives sixty words that show the parts at work, and the rules that let you take new words apart. Word list Sixty words in seven groups: again and undoing, not and badly, over, under and against, people, trees and small things, actions and qualities, verbs from adjectives, and compounds. Again and undoing Word Meaning Notes refaire fr to do again, to redo Gender / part of speech verb How English differs re- + faire : again. Je dois le refaire. [8] I have to do it again. relire fr to reread Gender / part of speech verb How English differs re- + lire . Je vais relire ça. [9] I'm going to read this again. réécrire fr to rewrite Gender / part of speech verb How English differs ré- before a vowel. J'ai réécrit le rapport. [10] I've rewritten the report. défaire fr to undo; to unpack Gender / part of speech verb How English differs dé- reverses: défaire sa valise , to unpack . As-tu défait tes valises ? [11] Are you unpacked? le désordre fr mess, disorder Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs dés- before a vowel: en désordre , untidy . Sa chambre est en désordre. [12] His room is untidy. déconseiller fr to advise against Gender / part of speech verb How English differs The opposite of conseiller . Je le déconseille vivement. [13] I strongly advise against it. désagréable fr unpleasant Gender / part of speech adjective How English differs dés- + agréable . L'odeur était désagréable. [14] The odour was disagreeable. Not and badly Word Meaning Notes illisible fr illegible Gender / part of speech adjective How English differs in- becomes il- before l. Son écriture est illisible. [15] His handwriting is illegible. irréel fr unreal Gender / part of speech adjective How English differs in- becomes ir- before r. C'est tellement irréel. [16] This is so unreal. incroyable fr incredible, unbelievable Gender / part of speech adjective How English differs in- + croyable , from croire . C'est incroyable ! [17] It's incredible! inoubliable fr unforgettable Gender / part of speech adjective How English differs in- + oubli + -able . C'est inoubliable. [18] It's unforgettable. irremplaçable fr irreplaceable Gender / part of speech adjective How English differs Three parts: ir- , remplacer , -able . Personne n’est irremplaçable. [19] No one is irreplaceable. imprévu fr unexpected; the unexpected Gender / part of speech adjective and noun How English differs in- becomes im- before p. Il rencontra un obstacle imprévu. [20] He met an unexpected obstacle. malhonnête fr dishonest Gender / part of speech adjective How English differs mal- , badly , + honnête . C'est malhonnête. [21] It's dishonest. maladroit fr clumsy Gender / part of speech adjective How English differs mal- + adroit , skilful . Pourquoi es-tu si maladroit ? [22] Why are you so clumsy? le malentendu fr misunderstanding Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs mal + entendu , badly heard . C'est un malentendu. [23] It's a misunderstanding. mécontent fr dissatisfied, unhappy Gender / part of speech adjective How English differs mé- is a separate prefix with a similar meaning, not a form of mal- . Es-tu satisfait ou mécontent ? [24] Are you satisfied or dissatisfied? Over, under, against, together Word Meaning Notes surestimer fr to overestimate Gender / part of speech verb How English differs sur- , over . Tu le surestimes. [25] You overestimate him. sous-estimer fr to underestimate Gender / part of speech verb How English differs sous- , under , with a hyphen. Tu te sous-estimes. [26] You underestimate yourself. contredire fr to contradict Gender / part of speech verb How English differs contre- , against ; vous contredisez , not contredites . Ils se contredisent. [27] They contradict each other. l'autoroute fr motorway Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs auto- , here from automobile . J'ai pris l'autoroute. [28] I took the highway. coopérer fr to cooperate Gender / part of speech verb How English differs co- , together . Nous coopérons. [29] We're cooperating. extraordinaire fr extraordinary Gender / part of speech adjective How English differs extra- , outside . Quelle femme extraordinaire ! [30] What an extraordinary woman. People, trees and