Affixes
Have you ever wondered not to find an Indonesian word you’re searching for in the dictionary? The reason might be that you don’t search by the root word. The word you’re looking for might be added with an affix.
Understanding how to build an affix in Indonesian language will help you to enrich your vocabulary, since a lot of root words can be added with an affix and change the meaning.
Following affix are used in Indonesian language:
Prefix (awalan), adding an element in front of the root word
Suffix (akhiran), adding an element at the end of the root word
Circumfix (gabungan), adding elements infront and at the end of the root word.
You can not add any prefix to any root word and also in some cases the root word need to be changed as well! There are some patterns how to build the prefix. Sounds complicated? I know, affix is one of the most difficult grammar in Indonesian language for non native speaker. There is only a way to understand this topic, practice, practice, practice.
Let’s take a closer look!