Language/Esperanto/Grammar/Prefixe-MAL—-and-Suffixe-—IN
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Prefixes and Suffixes in Esperanto
The Esperanto language uses a number of prefixes and suffixes to give certain words another meaning.
-IN
One of these suffixes is -IN. When you put it behind a noun (first drop the -O, then add the suffix, then add an -O again because it's a noun), it indicates that it's the feminine form of the word. In other words: it forms the female equivalent of persons and animals.
| Esperanto | English |
| la patro | the father |
| la patrino | the mother |
| la frato | the brother |
| la fratino | the sister |
| la azeno | the donkey |
| la azenino | the female donkey |
| la heroo | the hero |
| la heroino | the heroine |
| la viro | the man |
| la virino | the woman |
MAL-
The prefix MAL- is used to express the opposite of a word. Just paste it in front of the word.
| Esperanto | English |
| Kontenta | happy/satisfied |
| malkontenta | unhappy/dissatisfied |
| bona | good |
| malbona | bad |
| la amo | the love |
| la malamo | the hatred |
| la amiko | the friend |
| la malamiko | the enemy |
| longa | long |
| mallonga | short |