a-

From Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-) (ἀν- (an-) immediately preceding a vowel), from Proto-Indo-European *n̥- (“un-, not”), zero-grade form of *né (“not”). Doublet of ne.

a- + sȍcijālan → ȁsocijālan

a- + simètrija → asimètrija

a- + brahija → abrahija

Prefix prepended to words to denote a negation, deprivation or absence of a property denoted by base word.


pre-

dug / predug

Prefix prepended to adjectives and adverbs to denote excess of a feature; too, excessively, over-

trpati / pretrpati

Prefix prepended to verbs to indicate an action being done excessively, again or differently; re-, over-

prepoloviti

Prefix prepended to verbs to indicate change in form, especially through partition

Spavat ću u hotelu. Prespavao sam u hotelu.

I will sleep in a hotel. I slept (over) in a hotel.

Prefix prepended to imperfective verbs to make them perfective; to indicate that the action has been carried out


s-

s- + pùstiti → spùstiti

s- + znȁti → sàznati

s- + lòmiti → slòmiti

s- + glȅdati → sàgledati

s- + kȕpiti → skȕpiti

s- + klòniti → sklòniti

s- + náći → snȃći

Prepended to verbs, usually forming a perfective from an imperfective verb.


pra-

pra- + dȅda → pradeda

pra- + bȁba → pràbaba

appended to ancestors before grandparents

pra- + postojbina → prapostojbina (“urheimat”)

pra- + ìstōrija → praistorija (“prehistory”)


trans-

Borrowed from Latin trāns (“across, on the far side, beyond”).


ob-

об- (Cyrillic)
o- (alternative)
op- (alternative)
oba- (alternative)

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *ob, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃ebʰi. See o.

jahati → objahati

grliti → obgrliti

kružiti → okružiti

javiti → objaviti

uzeti → obuzeti

lizati → oblizati

grepsti → ogrepsti

hrabriti → ohrabriti

forms perfective verbs from imperfectives

malen → omalen


para-

para- + nàuka (“science”) → paranauka (“parascience”)

para- + nȍrmālno (“normally”) → paranormalno (“paranormal”)


с-

с- + пу̀стити → спу̀стити

с- + зна̏ти → са̀знати

с- + ло̀мити → сло̀мити

с- + гле̏дати → са̀гледати

с- + ку̏пити → ску̏пити

с- + кло̀нити → скло̀нити

с- + на́ћи → сна̑ћи


без-

-less, prefix appended to adjectives to create an adjective denoting a deprivation of a feature


раз-

Inseparable verbal prefix that denotes distribution, destruction, breaking into pieces, undoing or removing.; de-, dis-, un-


об-

ob- (romanization)
о- (alternative)
оп- (alternative)
оба- (alternative)

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *ob, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃ebʰi. See о.

јахати → објахати

грлити → обгрлити

кружити → окружити

јавити → објавити

узети → обузети

лизати → облизати

грепсти → огрепсти

храбрити → охрабрити

мален → омален


ne-

Prefix prepended to adjectives to create an adjective denoting a negative meaning (ne (“not”)). Akin to un-, non-, im-, ir-.


bes-

Alternative form of bez-; used before voiceless consonants

-less, prefix prepended to adjectives to create an adjective denoting a deprivation of a feature


sve-

Prefix prepended to adjectives to create an adjective of a more general meaning. (sve (“all”)).


vele-

Prefix prepended to adjectives to create an adjective denoting an intensified feature, generally meaning well, very or highly.


za-

Prefix prepended to adjectives to create an adjective denoting a finished action.


euro-

еуро- (Cyrillic)
evro- (alternative Bosnia Serbia)

Euro- (forms words relating to Europe and the European Union)


а-

From Ancient Greek ἀ- (a-) (ἀν- (an-) immediately preceding a vowel), from Proto-Indo-European *n̥- (“un-, not”), zero-grade form of *né (“not”). Doublet of не.

а- + со̏ција̄лан → а̏соција̄лан

а- + симѐтрија → асимѐтрија

а- + brahija → абрахија

Prefix prepended to words to denote a negation, deprivation or absence of a property denoted by base word.


polu-

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *polъ (“half”).


pod-

Related to pȍd (“below, under”), from Proto-Slavic *podъ.

under- and sub- (a prefix inherited from Common Slavic).


pot-

Form of pod- obtained by phonetic devoicing of final /d/ to the following unvoiced obstruent.


прек-

прекјуче прекјуче

прексутра прексутра

прексиноћ прексиноћ

преклане преклане

Forming compound words having the sense of something that comes right before or after something, such as: прекјуче, прексутра, прексиноћ, преклане.


нак-

накјуче накјуче

наксутра наксутра

Forming compound words having the sense of something that comes right before or after something that comes right before (or after, respectively) something, such as: накјуче, наксутра.


naj-

Ivan je brz, Petar je brži, ali Josip je najbrži!

Ivan is fast, Petar is faster but Josip is the fastest!

most, -est; used to form the superlative of adjectives and adverbs, by attaching it to the comparative form.


po-

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *po-, from *po, whence also comes the Serbo-Croatian preposition po.

perfective aspect
perfective aspect#English


uz-

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *vъz (Russian воз- (voz-), Polish wz-). Cognate with Lithuanian už.


ni-

igdje ili nigdje.

itko ili nitko.

ikad ili nikad.

Prefix prepended to pronouns to denote a negative meaning, synonymous with ne- (“no, not”).

Bio sam tu ali nisam bio tamo.

Prefix prepended to copula verb biti in present tense to denote a negative meaning, synonymous with ne- (“not”).


prek-

Forms words having the sense of something that comes right before or after something, such as: prekjuče, preksutra, preksinoć, preklane.


евро-

evro- (romanization)
еуро- (alternative Croatia)


транс-

From Latin trāns (“across, on the far side, beyond”).


теле-

Ultimately from Ancient Greek τῆλε (têle, “at a distance, far off, far away, far from”).


не-

Prefix prepended to adjectives to create an adjective denoting a negative meaning (не (“not”)). Akin to un-, non-, im-, ir-.


raz-

Inseparable verbal prefix that denotes destruction, breaking into pieces, undoing or removing.; de-, dis-


еуро-

euro- (romanization)
евро- (alternative Bosnia Serbia)


evro-

евро- (Cyrillic)
euro- (alternative Croatia)


niz-

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *nizъ, from Proto-Indo-European *nei-ǵʰ-? (Derksen) or *ni- (“down”).