Antonym-Forming Prefixes
反意語を形成する接頭辞
How to Use Antonym-Forming Prefixes
反意語を形成する接頭辞の使い方
1. Un-
Meaning: Not, opposite of
Examples:
Happy → Unhappy (not happy)
Lock → Unlock (reverse the action of locking)
Known → Unknown (not known)
2. Dis-, Dys-
Meaning: Not, opposite of, reverse action
Examples:
Agree → Disagree (not agree)
Connect → Disconnect (reverse the action of connecting)
Honor → Dishonor (not honor)
Functional → Dysfunctional (not functioning properly)
3. In-, Im-, Il-, Ir-
Meaning: Not
Usage:
In-: Used before most consonants.
Possible → Impossible (not possible)
Im-: Used before b, m, p.
Balanced → Imbalanced (not balanced)
Il-: Used before l.
Legal → Illegal (not legal)
Logical → Illogical (not logical)
Ir-: Used before r.
Regular → Irregular (not regular)
Relevant → Irrelevant (not relevant)
4. Non-
Meaning: Not
Examples:
Fiction → Nonfiction (not fiction)
Sense → Nonsense (not sense)
Stop → Nonstop (without stopping)
5. Anti-
Meaning: Against, opposed to
Examples:
Social → Antisocial (against social norms)
Biotic → Antibiotic (against life, often used in the context of fighting bacteria)
Inflammatory → Antiinflammatory (against inflammation)
6. De-
Meaning: Reverse action, remove
Examples:
Activate → Deactivate (reverse the action of activating)
Construct → Deconstruct (reverse the action of constructing)
Value → Devalue (reduce the value of)
7. Mis-
Meaning: Wrongly, badly
Examples:
Understand → Misunderstand (understand wrongly)
Behave → Misbehave (behave badly)
Spell → Misspell (spell incorrectly)
8. Counter-
Meaning: Opposite, against
Examples:
Intuitive → Counterintuitive (opposite of intuitive)
Measure → Countermeasure (a measure against another measure)
Argument → Counterargument (an argument against)
9. Re-
Meaning: Again, back (sometimes used to indicate reversal)
Examples:
Do → Redo (repeat the action of doing)
Turn → Return (turn back)
Write → Rewrite (write again)
10. Extra-
Meaning: Beyond, outside of (can imply opposite in some contexts)
Examples:
Territorial → Exterritorial (beyond territorial)
Normal → Extranormal (beyond normal)
