Spanish Vocabulary Building with Suffixes, 1st Edition (Practice Makes Perfect)

Spanish relies on suffixes to denote parts of speech and gender, to modify base words, and to convey nuances of meaning. Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Vocabulary Building with Suffixes will allow you to expand your vocabulary and to gain an appreciation of the language through awareness of its word endings. Vocabulary building never ends. In one’s native language, this is often a source of delight; when learning a new language, however, this task can overwhelm anyone. Familiarity with the logic of Spanish suffixes yields a geometric increase in vocabulary for each new suffix learned.

The dictionary has often been a tool of necessity in vocabulary building, and everyone finds—at least from time to time—that its use can be tedious and frustrating. I have written this book to make the job of increasing vocabulary easier and more interesting, as well as to encourage the ability and confidence to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words by breaking them down into their units of meaning. Not only will this reduce the drudgery of dictionary searches, it will build self-reliance in learning another language. With a knowledge of basic Spanish words—those included in most first-year courses—and an awareness of Spanish suffixes, you will be able to recognize many unfamiliar words. You will become more confident and less threatened by Spanish literature and conversation, and your use of a dictionary will decrease dramatically.

Using this book

Spanish suffixes contain a wealth of information. A suffix may denote gender, size, quality, status, profession, quantity, type, relationship, habit, style, and much more—and bring all this information and nuance to the base term.

Unfortunately, information on Spanish suffixes tends to be scattered in various text and online sources; typically, only one or two examples are given for a suffix, with little or no analysis. By contrast, Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Vocabulary Building with Suffixes is comprehensive in its scope and detail.

This book presents 150 Spanish suffixes, chosen for their frequency and usage. Some endings are more common than others, but all are used in everyday words, ranging from conversation to newspapers to literature. Each of the suffixes is explained and analyzed, and one or more charts of suffixed words is provided to illustrate the power and semantic range of the suffix. An exercise follows each chart, providing exposure to the suffixed words in ordinary and useful contexts.

Suffixes are arranged alphabetically in three sections: Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced. These sections reflect the language level of the learner and the material he or she is likely to encounter.

The presentation of a suffix begins with basic information: its form, meaning, English equivalent (if one exists), part of speech, and gender. A paragraph of explanation and analysis follows, including information about how words are formed with the suffix; it often features interesting aspects of the suffix and the words constructed with it.

A chart of suffixed words provides numerous illustrative examples. Included are the English equivalent of the suffixed word, its base word, and the English equivalent of the base word. The charts are by no means exhaustive; in most cases, there are many more suffixed words than can be included in a book of this size. An exercise follows each chart, allowing the student to experience and work with the suffixed words in context. The answer key at the back of the book allows the student to check his or her progress in mastering each suffix.

Most of the suffixed words presented in this book are based on Spanish words. Some, however, are derived from Latin or Greek words, or words from another language; these sources are indicated in the charts. Also noted are special uses of words (for example, colloquial) and uses restricted to a particular country or region.

Appendix A lists 100 common Spanish prefixes, with meanings and examples. No analysis is provided, as Spanish prefixes tend to be either identical or clearly similar to their English counterparts. Appendix B is a synopsis of the 150 Spanish suffixes presented in this book, with meanings and examples.

I hope that this book will enable you to read, write, and speak Spanish with greater confidence and enjoyment.