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Kyara
Why Afrikaans uses prefixes? (VE-, BE-, GE-, HER-, ONT-)And what are they for?
I don't know how to translate them.
For example, I have a word (like KOOP). If I attach to this word one of the prefixes, how change the meaning?
Apr 1, 2016 3:45 PM
Answers · 7
2
Ont-vries = De-frost; Ont-ken = denied (ken is know). It is many times an anti word, but not every time you see ont in front of a word does it meen this, as some words just so happen to have the three letters o n t at the beginning.
Ontmoet = meet. (noun) encounter. (adj); Ontleed = analyzed
Be-; Ve- in my personal opinion is also just two letters that happen to be next to each other often at the beginning of words.
April 2, 2016
2
The prefixes can change the meaning or the tense. ie " het gekoop" is past tense "I bought". Verkoop means I sell.
GE normally indicates past tense. Ek het gelag - I laughed. Ek het geloop I walked.
HER normally means the same as RE in english. i.e. Herwin = recoup and herinner means remind.
April 1, 2016
've-' ....I think this is usually 'ver-'
'ver-' can change the meaning of a word eg:
as mentioned in another answer, koop=buy, verkoop=sell
or wag=wait, verwag=expect
or it can change the form of the word eg:
beeld=image (noun), verbeel=imagine(verb)
'be-' can also change the form of a word eg ken=know (verb)
bekend=known (adjective/past participle)
(het geken = knew)
***TAKE NOTE: 'ge-' doesn't always indicate past tense - it can be part of the word eg there are a few nouns starting with 'ge-' eg gedig = poem
Sometimes it is part of a verb in the root form. I can't think of examples, but when you find these, and also verbs that have the prefixes that have been discussed here in your question, THEY DON'T use 'ge-' again in the past tense eg
I buy=ek koop, I bought=ek het gekoop
I sell=ek verkoop, I sold=ek het verkoop - NOT ek het geverkoop
October 25, 2016
It's ok
Thank you so much anyway!
April 1, 2016
I would say that in general they indicate action and are used mainly with verbs. But although I speak the language fluently I am not a grammar expert.
April 1, 2016
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Kyara
Language Skills
Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, Italian, Korean, Polish
Learning Language
Chinese (Mandarin), French, Korean, Polish
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