English Vocabulary: Prefixes, Adjectives, and Phrasal Verbs

English Word Components and Expressions

Prefixes and Their Meanings

Understanding prefixes helps in determining the meaning of many words. Here are examples grouped by their common prefixes:

• ANTI-: war, learning, coeducational, exist, cooperation
• MIS-: behave, print, understand
• OUT-: perform, play, run
• OVER-: charge, confident, work
• RE-: write, do
• UNDER-: achieve, cook, estimate
• DIS-: approve, honesty, loyalty
• IL-: legal, legible
• IM-: mature, polite, possible
• IN-: compatible
• IR-: rational, responsible
• UN-: comfortable, usual

Nouns Related to Personal Qualities

A list of important personal attributes:

ABILITY, AMBITION, CAUTION, DETERMINATION, ENCOURAGEMENT, ENJOYMENT, HAPPINESS, IMAGINATION, INSPIRATION, PATIENCE, PERFORMANCE, REALITY, TOUGHNESS, VIOLENCE, WEAKNESS

Common Prepositional Collocations

These show how prepositions combine with words to form common phrases:

• TO: addicted, similar, solution, damage, addiction, belong, listen, talk, happen
• AT: bad, good, all times, risk
• ON: dependent, keen, influence, ban, purpose, your own
• ABOUT: excited, serious, argue, worry
• FOR: famous, reason, recipe, remembered, a living, certain, responsibility, apply, look, search, work
• IN: interested, involved, pride, improvement
• OF: jealous, risk, smell, proud, approve, consist, convince, think
• WITH: obsessed, pleased, agree, compare, disagree, help, interview, problem, argument
• AGAINST: the law, the odds
• BY: accident, yourself
• IN: debt, front
• UNDER: arrest, the circumstances
• WITHOUT: doubt, exception
• FROM: come, borrow, recover
• FORM: application

Compound Adjectives with Translations

Examples of hyphenated adjectives:

• BADLY-BEHAVED: portarse mal
• BAD-TEMPERED: mal genio
• BEST-SELLING: mayor venta
• BROAD-MINDED: abierto de mente
• COLD-HEARTED: despiadado
• COOL-HEADED: sereno
• DARK-HAIRED: pelo oscuro
• EASY-GOING: trato fácil
• FAIR-HAIRED: pelo claro
• FAR-REACHING: gran alcance
• GOOD-LOOKING: guapo
• GOOD-NATURED: buen carácter
• GOOD-TEMPERED: amistoso
• HOT-HEADED: impetuoso
• NARROW-MINDED: estrecho de miras
• QUICK-TEMPERED: mucho genio
• STRONG-WILLED: decidido
• WARM-HEARTED: buen corazón
• WELL-BEHAVED: se porta bien
• WELL-DRESSED: bien vestido

Common Phrasal Verbs

Useful phrasal verbs for various contexts:

Social Interactions

• ASK OUT: pedir salir
• CHAT UP: ligar
• FALL FOR: enamorarse
• FALL OUT: enfadarse
• GET ON: llevarse bien
• GO OUT: salir
• GROW APART: distanciarse
• SPLIT UP: dejar la relación

General Actions and Movement

• BREAK DOWN: estropearse
• COME ACROSS: encontrarse
• GET BACK: volver
• HEAD FOR: ir hacia
• PICK UP: recoger
• SEE OFF: despedirse
• SET OFF: salir
• TAKE OFF: despegar

Managing Tasks and Information

• PUT OFF: aplazar
• LOOK INTO: investigar
• FACE UP TO: enfrentarse
• CARRY OUT: llevar algo a cabo
• DEAL WITH: resolver
• GET BY: sobrevivir económicamente
• GET DOWN TO: ponerse (a trabajar)
• GET ON: tener éxito
• GET THROUGH: terminar
• PUT ACROSS: transmitir
• PUT IN: enviar
• PUT OFF: aplazar (repeated)
• PUT UP: subir