Prefix, Suffix, Sandhi and Samas at Basic Level
Prefix, Suffix, Sandhi and Samas at Basic Level
This topic supplies two questions, and at the qualifying level only recognition is asked — which prefix a word carries, how a word splits, which samas it belongs to. There is no need to go into the depth of the rules; the basic examples are enough.
Prefix and Suffix
A prefix attaches at the beginning of a word and a suffix at the end. That is the whole distinction, and nothing beyond it is asked at this level.
| Prefix | Example | Suffix | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| प्र | प्रगति, प्रबल | आवट | सजावट, लिखावट |
| वि | विदेश, विज्ञान | ता | मानवता, सुंदरता |
| अनु | अनुसरण, अनुवाद | पन | बचपन, लड़कपन |
| सु | सुगम, सुपुत्र | ई | धनी, गुणी |
| अध | अधपका, अधखिला | वाला | दूधवाला, गाड़ीवाला |
✗ सजावट carries a prefix | ✓ आवट is attached at the end, so it is a suffix
Sandhi at Basic Level
The joining of two sounds is called sandhi. The qualifying paper usually asks only simple vowel sandhi.
| Word | Split | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| विद्यालय | विद्या + आलय | dirgh |
| देवालय | देव + आलय | dirgh |
| नरेंद्र | नर + इंद्र | gun |
| महेश | महा + ईश | gun |
| इत्यादि | इति + आदि | yan |
| सदानंद | सत् + आनंद | vyanjan |
The simple test is to see which sound the join produced. If ए resulted it is gun; if the same vowel merely lengthened it is dirgh; if य् or व् appeared it is yan sandhi.
Samas at Basic Level
| Samas | Test | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Tatpurush | the second word is dominant | राजपुत्र, देशभक्ति |
| Dvigu | the first word is a number | नवरात्र, त्रिभुज |
| Dvandva | both words are dominant | माता-पिता, राम-लक्ष्मण |
| Bahuvrihi | the sense belongs to a third thing | दशानन meaning Ravana |
At this level questions are set from these four only. Dvandva is the easiest, because the word और can be placed between the two parts — माता और पिता. In bahuvrihi the sense travels outside both parts.
तीनों विषयों के लिए एक ही आदत काम आती है — शब्द को तोड़कर देखिए। आगे का हिस्सा अलग हो तो उपसर्ग, पीछे का हो तो प्रत्यय, दो वर्ण मिले हों तो संधि, और दो पद मिले हों तो समास।
TRE pointer: Prefix in front, suffix behind — that one line answers half the questions. In sandhi, विद्यालय, नरेंद्र and इत्यादि are the three examples that recur. In samas, remember the two tests — और fits between the parts in dvandva, and the sense goes outside in bahuvrihi.
60-Second Recap
- A prefix attaches at the beginning and a suffix at the end.
- प्र, वि, अनु and सु are common prefixes; आवट, ता, पन and ई common suffixes.
- विद्यालय splits into विद्या and आलय and is dirgh sandhi.
- नरेंद्र splits into नर and इंद्र and is gun sandhi.
- In dvandva samas और can be placed between the two parts.
- In bahuvrihi the sense points to a third thing, as दशानन means Ravana.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a prefix and a suffix?
A prefix attaches at the beginning of a word and changes its sense, as प्र in प्रगति and वि in विदेश. A suffix attaches at the end, as आवट in सजावट and ता in मानवता. The position alone settles which is which, and nothing more is asked at this level.
How does विद्यालय split?
Into विद्या and आलय. Here आ and आ have joined into a long आ, so it is dirgh sandhi. देवालय splits the same way into देव and आलय. Both examples are asked most often in the qualifying paper.
How is a dvandva samas recognised?
If both parts are equally dominant and the word और can be placed between them, it is dvandva. माता-पिता means माता और पिता, and राम-लक्ष्मण means राम और लक्ष्मण. It is the easiest of the four to identify.
What is the test for a bahuvrihi samas?
That the meaning of the whole compound points to something outside both its parts. दशानन does not mean ten faces but Ravana. This travelling outward of the sense is its surest identification and is exactly what the question is built on.