Productive Prefixes and Suffixes
Productive affixes are word parts that build many new words. The prefixes are 非- (not), 反- (anti) and 无- (without), and the suffixes are -性 (quality), -化 (-ize), -者 (person) and -率 (rate).
In English
Chinese has a set of high-frequency affixes that build new words in bulk. Prefixes: 非- means 'not' (非正式), 反- means 'against' (反思), 无- means 'without' (无效). Suffixes: -性 makes an abstract noun (可能性), -化 means 'to make into' (现代化), -者 means 'a person who' (作者), -率 means a rate (成功率).
When you meet a new word, first split off the affix and guess the meaning from the root; most of the time you will be right. Do not confuse the prefix 非 with 非常 'very'.
中文里有一批高频'词缀'，加在词根前后，能批量构造新词，认识它们就能推测生词的意思。
前缀（加在前面）：
- 非- = 不是…（客观否定）：非正式、非法、非公开。注意跟'非常'（很，副词）区别，'非'单独作前缀时表示'不'。
- 反- = 相反/反对：反常（不正常）、反腐（反对腐败）、反思（回过头思考）。
- 无- = 没有：无效、无私、无限。
后缀（加在后面）：
- -性 = …的性质/程度（抽象名词）：可能性、重要性、灵活性。
- -化 = 使变成…（动词化）：现代化、简化、美化。
- -者 = …的人（施事者）：作者、学者、消费者。
- -率 = …的比例（比率名词）：成功率、出生率、效率。
看到陌生词时，先拆出词根和词缀，就能猜出大概意思。
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 这次会议是非正式的，大家可以随便聊聊。 | Zhè cì huì yì shì fēi zhèng shì de, dà jiā kě yǐ suí biàn liáo liao. | This meeting is informal; everyone can just chat casually. | 非- prefix negates 正式 (formal) → 非正式 (informal) — the minimal frame. |
| 工厂决定推进自动化，用机器代替一部分人工劳动，提高生产效率。 | Gōng chǎng jué dìng tuī jìn zì dòng huà, yòng jī qì dài tì yī bù fen rén gōng láo dòng, tí gāo shēng chǎn xiào lǜ. | The factory decided to push forward automation, using machines to replace some manual labor and raise production efficiency. | -化 suffix turns 自动 (automatic) into a verb 自动化 (to automate); -率 suffix turns 效 into 效率 (efficiency). |
| 记者采访了几位消费者，发现大家普遍反感虚假广告的可能性正在上升，专家呼吁加强监管以避免这种不良现象反复出现。 | Jì zhě cǎi fǎng le jǐ wèi xiāo fèi zhě, fā xiàn dà jiā pǔ biàn fǎn gǎn xū jiǎ guǎng gào de kě néng xìng zhèng zài shàng shēng, zhuān jiā hū yù jiā qiáng jiān guǎn yǐ bì miǎn zhè zhǒng bù liáng xiàn xiàng fǎn fù chū xiàn. | The reporter interviewed several consumers and found the possibility of widespread resentment toward false advertising is rising; experts are calling for stronger regulation to avoid this bad phenomenon from recurring. | -者 (记者, 消费者) and -性 (可能性) combined in one dense multi-affix sentence. |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
非- (fēi)
A prefix meaning 'not' or 'non-', forming nouns and adjectives from nouns.
Structure: 非 + noun
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这家医院是非营利机构。 | Zhè jiā yī yuàn shì fēi yíng lì jī gòu. | This hospital is a non-profit institution. |
| 请不要进入非工作区域。 | Qǐng bú yào jìn rù fēi gōng zuò qū yù. | Please do not enter the non-work area. |
| 他是靠非法手段赚钱的。 | Tā shì kào fēi fǎ shǒu duàn zhuàn qián de. | He makes his money by illegal means. |
Not: 这个会议非很重要。 As a prefix 非 attaches to a noun (非正式); to negate an adjective use 不: 不重要.
无- (wú)
A prefix meaning 'without' or 'no', forming fixed words.
Structure: 无 + noun/adjective
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这张票已经无效了。 | Zhè zhāng piào yǐ jīng wú xiào le. | This ticket is no longer valid. |
| 他无私地帮助了很多人。 | Tā wú sī de bāng zhù le hěn duō rén. | He selflessly helped a lot of people. |
| 这种药对孩子无害。 | Zhè zhǒng yào duì hái zi wú hài. | This medicine is harmless to children. |
Not: 他无来。 As a prefix 无 forms fixed words; for a plain verb in speech use 没: 没来.
-性 (xìng)
A suffix that turns a quality into an abstract noun: 'the nature of'.
Structure: adjective/verb + 性
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这个计划的可行性很高。 | Zhè ge jì huà de kě xíng xìng hěn gāo. | This plan is highly feasible. |
| 运动能提高身体的灵活性。 | Yùn dòng néng tí gāo shēn tǐ de líng huó xìng. | Exercise improves the body's flexibility. |
| 安全性是选车时最重要的问题。 | Ān quán xìng shì xuǎn chē shí zuì zhòng yào de wèn tí. | Safety is the most important issue when choosing a car. |
Not: 这个人很重要性。 性 makes a noun (重要性); it cannot work as an adjective after 很.
-化 (huà)
A suffix meaning 'to make or become ...', forming verbs and processes.
Structure: noun/adjective + 化
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 老师把复杂的问题简单化了。 | Lǎo shī bǎ fù zá de wèn tí jiǎn dān huà le. | The teacher made the complex problem simple. |
| 全球化让各国联系得更紧密。 | Quán qiú huà ràng gè guó lián xì de gèng jǐn mì. | Globalisation ties countries closer together. |
| 现在很多考试都电子化了。 | Xiàn zài hěn duō kǎo shì dōu diàn zi huà le. | Many exams are now computerised. |
Not: 房间很美化。 化 makes a verb (美化, 'beautify'), so it cannot follow 很 as an adjective; say 很美.
-者 (zhě)
A suffix for a person who does or is something.
Structure: verb/noun + 者
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这位作者写过很多儿童故事。 | Zhè wèi zuò zhě xiě guò hěn duō ér tóng gù shi. | This author has written many children's stories. |
| 志愿者们周末都来帮忙。 | Zhì yuàn zhě men zhōu mò dōu lái bāng máng. | The volunteers all come to help at weekends. |
| 读者来信说，这篇文章很有帮助。 | Dú zhě lái xìn shuō, zhè piān wén zhāng hěn yǒu bāng zhù. | A reader wrote that this article was helpful. |
Not: 她是一位志愿者的人。 者 already means 'person who', so do not add 的人.
-率 (lǜ)
A suffix for a rate or ratio.
Structure: noun/verb + 率
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这次考试的及格率很高。 | Zhè cì kǎo shì de jí gé lǜ hěn gāo. | The pass rate in this exam is high. |
| 新产品的失败率比预计的低。 | Xīn chǎn pǐn de shī bài lǜ bǐ yù jì de dī. | The failure rate of the new product is lower than expected. |
| 提高学习效率的办法有很多。 | Tí gāo xué xí xiào lǜ de bàn fǎ yǒu hěn duō. | There are many ways to raise study efficiency. |
Not: 这里的出生率是三个人。 率 is a ratio, so it takes a percentage, not a count of people.
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
Questions about Productive Prefixes and Suffixes
What does 类前缀与类后缀 (Productive Prefixes and Suffixes) mean in Chinese?
Productive affixes are word parts that build many new words. The prefixes are 非- (not), 反- (anti) and 无- (without), and the suffixes are -性 (quality), -化 (-ize), -者 (person) and -率 (rate). It is an HSK 6 grammar point.
How do you use 类前缀与类后缀 (Productive Prefixes and Suffixes) in a sentence?
这次会议是非正式的，大家可以随便聊聊。 — Zhè cì huì yì shì fēi zhèng shì de, dà jiā kě yǐ suí biàn liáo liao. — This meeting is informal; everyone can just chat casually. 非- prefix negates 正式 (formal) → 非正式 (informal) — the minimal frame.
What do you need to know before 类前缀与类后缀 (Productive Prefixes and Suffixes)?
Prefixes & Suffixes (HSK 3). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
How can I use prefixes and suffixes to guess new words?
Split the word. 可能性 is 可能 plus 性, so 'the quality of being possible'; 志愿者 is 志愿 plus 者, so 'a person who volunteers'. Once you know 化, 性, 者 and 率, a whole group of HSK 6 words becomes predictable.
Is 非 the same in 非常 and 非法?
No. In 非常 it means 'very' and is an adverb. As a prefix, as in 非法 and 非正式, it means 'not' and attaches to a noun.
Productive Prefixes and Suffixes is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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