What is Word Formation?
Word formation questions test your understanding of how Japanese words are created through prefixes, suffixes, and compounding. At the N2 level, you need to recognize productive word-formation patterns and predict the meanings of unfamiliar words based on their components.
๐ฏ Types of Word Formation
1. Prefixes (ๆฅ้ ญ่พ)
Added to the beginning of words to modify meaning:
ใ/ใ (Honorific Prefix)
ใ + native Japanese word:
ใ้ (ใใใญ) - money
ใ่ถ (ใใกใ) - tea
ใ้
(ใใใ) - alcohol
ใๅผๅฝ (ใในใใจใ) - bento, lunch box
ใ + Sino-Japanese word:
ใ้ฃฏ (ใใฏใ) - rice, meal
ใๅฎถๆ (ใใใใ) - family (honorific)
ใๆ่ฆ (ใใใใ) - opinion (honorific)
ใๅบๅธญ (ใใใ
ใฃใใ) - attendance (honorific)ไธ (Negative Prefix)
ไธ + adjective/noun = negative meaning:
ไธไพฟ (ใตในใ) - inconvenient
ไธๅฎ (ใตใใ) - anxiety, unease
ไธๅฏ่ฝ (ใตใใฎใ) - impossible
ไธๆญฃ (ใตใใ) - injustice, fraud
ไธ่ถณ (ใตใใ) - shortage, insufficiency
ไธๆณจๆ (ใตใกใ
ใใ) - carelessness
ไธๆบ (ใตใพใ) - dissatisfactionๆช (Not Yet Prefix)
ๆช + verb/noun = not yet done:
ๆชๅฎ (ใฟใฆใ) - undecided
ๆชๅฎๆ (ใฟใใใใ) - incomplete
ๆช่งฃๆฑบ (ใฟใใใใค) - unsolved
ๆชๆฅ (ใฟใใ) - future
ๆช็ต้จ (ใฟใใใใ) - inexperienced
ๆชๆๅนด (ใฟใใใญใ) - minor, underageๅ (Re- Prefix)
ๅ + verb/noun = doing again:
ๅไผ (ใใใใ) - reunion
ๅ้ (ใใใใ) - reopening, resumption
ๅๅฉ็จ (ใใใใใ) - reuse, recycling
ๅ็ (ใใใใ) - regeneration, playback
ๅๆๆฆ (ใใใกใใใใ) - re-challenge
ๅ็ขบ่ช (ใใใใใซใ) - reconfirmation2. Suffixes (ๆฅๅฐพ่พ)
Added to the end of words to create new meanings:
ใ็ (ใฆใ) - "-tic, -al, -ive"
Creates na-adjectives from nouns:
ๅบๆฌ็ (ใใปใใฆใ) - basic, fundamental
ๅ
ทไฝ็ (ใใใใฆใ) - concrete, specific
็ฉๆฅต็ (ใใฃใใใใฆใ) - positive, active
ๆถๆฅต็ (ใใใใใใใฆใ) - negative, passive
็ๆณ็ (ใใใใฆใ) - ideal
็พๅฎ็ (ใใใใคใฆใ) - realistic
ๅไบบ็ (ใใใใฆใ) - personal
ไธ่ฌ็ (ใใฃใฑใใฆใ) - generalใๆง (ใใ) - "-ity, -ness"
Creates abstract nouns:
ๅฏ่ฝๆง (ใใฎใใใ) - possibility
ๅฟ
่ฆๆง (ใฒใคใใใใ) - necessity
้่ฆๆง (ใใ
ใใใใใ) - importance
ๅฑ้บๆง (ใใใใใ) - danger, risk
ๆ่ปๆง (ใใ
ใใชใใใ) - flexibility
ๅต้ ๆง (ใใใใใใ) - creativity
ไฟก้ ผๆง (ใใใใใใ) - reliability
็ฌๅตๆง (ใฉใใใใใ) - originalityใๅ (ใ) - "-ization, -ification"
Creates verbs/nouns indicating transformation:
ๅคๅ (ใธใใ) - change
ๅฝ้ๅ (ใใใใใ) - internationalization
ๆ
ๅ ฑๅ (ใใใใปใใ) - informatization
ๅผทๅ (ใใใใ) - strengthening
ๆชๅ (ใใฃใ) - deterioration
็ฐกๅๅ (ใใใใใ) - simplification
็พไปฃๅ (ใใใ ใใ) - modernizationใ่ (ใใ) - "-er, person who"
Creates nouns for people:
็ ็ฉถ่
(ใใใใ
ใใใ) - researcher
ๅดๅ่
(ใใใฉใใใ) - worker, laborer
ๆถ่ฒป่
(ใใใใฒใใ) - consumer
็็ฃ่
(ใใใใใใ) - producer
ๅๅฉ่
(ใใใใใใ) - victor, winner
่ชญ่
(ใฉใใใ) - reader
่่
(ใกใใใ) - author
่จ่
(ใใใ) - journalistใๅก (ใใ) - "member, staff"
Creates nouns for่ทๆฅญ/roles:
ไผ็คพๅก (ใใใใใใ) - company employee
ๅบๅก (ใฆใใใ) - store clerk
้ง
ๅก (ใใใใ) - station staff
่ญฐๅก (ใใใ) - member of parliament
ๅงๅก (ใใใ) - committee member
่ทๅก (ใใใใใ) - staff member
็คพๅก (ใใใใ) - company employeeใๅฎถ (ใ) - "expert, -ist"
Creates nouns for specialists:
ไฝๅฎถ (ใใฃใ) - writer, author
็ปๅฎถ (ใใ) - painter, artist
้ณๆฅฝๅฎถ (ใใใใใ) - musician
ๅฐ่ชฌๅฎถ (ใใใใใคใ) - novelist
็งๅญฆ่
(ใใใใใ) - scientist
ๅฐ้ๅฎถ (ใใใใใ) - specialist, expert
่ธ่กๅฎถ (ใใใใ
ใคใ) - artist๐ง Compound Words (่คๅ่ช)
Verb + Verb Compounds
Combining two verb stems:
้ฃใณ่พผใ (ใจใณใใ) - jump in
้ฃใถ (fly/jump) + ่พผใ (into)
้งใๅบใ (ใใใ ใ) - run out/dash
้งใใ (run) + ๅบใ (go out)
ๅผใ่ฟใ (ใฒใใใใ) - turn back
ๅผใ (pull) + ่ฟใ (return)
็ซใกไธใใ (ใใกใใใ) - stand up
็ซใค (stand) + ไธใใ (rise)
ไนใๆใใ (ใฎใใใใ) - transfer
ไนใ (ride) + ๆใใ (change)Noun + Verb Compounds
Noun + ใใ verb:
ๅๅผทใใ (ในใใใใใใ) - study
ไปไบใใ (ใใใจใใ) - work
ๆ็ใใ (ใใใใใใ) - cook
ๆ้คใใ (ใใใใใ) - clean
้ๅใใ (ใใใฉใใใ) - exercise
ๆ
่กใใ (ใใใใใใ) - travel
ๅฟ้
ใใ (ใใใฑใใใ) - worryAdjective + Noun Compounds
I-adjective stem + noun:
ๅคๆฌ (ใตใใปใ) - used book
ๅคใ + ๆฌ
้ท่ฉฑ (ใชใใฐใชใ) - long talk
้ทใ + ่ฉฑ
ๆฐๅนด (ใใใญใ) - new year
ๆฐใใ + ๅนด
่ฅ่
(ใใใใฎ) - young person
่ฅใ + ่
๐ก Productive Patterns
Negative Formation Patterns
้ใ (ใฒ) - non-, un-:
้ๅธธ่ญ (ใฒใใใใใ) - nonsense, absurd
้ๅ
ฌๅผ (ใฒใใใใ) - unofficial
้ๅๆณ (ใฒใใใปใ) - illegal
็กใ (ใ) - without, -less:
็ก้ขไฟ (ใใใใใ) - unrelated
็กๆๅณ (ใใใฟ) - meaningless
็กๆ (ใใใใ) - free of charge
็ก็ (ใใ) - impossible, unreasonable
ๅใ (ใฏใ) - anti-, counter-:
ๅๅฏพ (ใฏใใใ) - opposite, opposition
ๅๅฟ (ใฏใใฎใ) - reaction, response
ๅ็ (ใฏใใใ) - reflection, introspectionDegree & Intensity Patterns
่ถ
ใ (ใกใใ) - super-, ultra-:
่ถ
้ซ้ (ใกใใใใใใ) - ultra-high speed
่ถ
ๅคงๅ (ใกใใใใใใ) - super large
้ใ (ใ) - over-, excessive:
้ๅด (ใใใ) - overwork
้ๅป (ใใ) - past
้ๅฐ (ใใใใ) - excess, surplus
ๆใ (ใใ) - most, -est:
ๆ้ซ (ใใใใ) - highest, best
ๆไฝ (ใใใฆใ) - lowest, worst
ๆๆฐ (ใใใใ) - newest, latest
ๆๅคง (ใใใ ใ) - largest, maximumTime-Related Patterns
ๅใ (ใใ/ใพใ) - pre-, before:
ๅๅ (ใใใใ) - last time, previous time
ๅๆฅ (ใใใใค) - previous day
ๅๅ (ใใใฏใ) - first half
ๅพใ (ใ/ใใจ) - post-, after:
ๅพๅ (ใใใฏใ) - second half
ๅพๆฅ (ใใใค) - later date
ๅพ่ผฉ (ใใใฏใ) - junior, younger colleague
็ฟใ (ใใ) - next, following:
็ฟๆฅ (ใใใใค) - next day
็ฟๅนด (ใใใญใ) - following year
็ฟๆ (ใใใใ) - next morning๐ฏ Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Build New Words
Create words using the given prefix/suffix:
1. ไธ + ๅฏ่ฝ = ไธๅฏ่ฝ (impossible)
2. ๅ + ้ = ๅ้ (reopening)
3. ็ๆณ + ็ = ็ๆณ็ (ideal)
4. ๅฏ่ฝ + ๆง = ๅฏ่ฝๆง (possibility)
5. ็ ็ฉถ + ่
= ็ ็ฉถ่
(researcher)
6. ๅฝ้ + ๅ = ๅฝ้ๅ (internationalization)Exercise 2: Identify Components
Break down compound words into their parts:
1. ้ฃใณ่พผใ = ้ฃใถ + ่พผใ (jump in)
2. ๆถ่ฒป่
= ๆถ่ฒป + ่
(consumer)
3. ๅบๆฌ็ = ๅบๆฌ + ็ (basic)
4. ไธๆณจๆ = ไธ + ๆณจๆ (careless)
5. ๅๅฉ็จ = ๅ + ๅฉ็จ (reuse)
6. ้ท่ฉฑ = ้ทใ + ่ฉฑ (long talk)Exercise 3: Predict Meanings
Guess the meaning based on components:
้ๅน็ = ้ (non-) + ๅน็ (efficiency)
Meaning: inefficient
Meaning: inefficient
ๆ่ปๆง = ๆ่ป (flexible) + ๆง (-ness)
Meaning: flexibility
Meaning: flexibility
๐ฏ Key Takeaways
- Pattern recognition: Learn productive prefixes and suffixes
- Component analysis: Break down complex words into parts
- Meaning prediction: Use knowledge of parts to guess unknown words
- Systematic learning: Study word families together (ๅฏ่ฝใไธๅฏ่ฝใๅฏ่ฝๆง)
- Production practice: Create your own words using learned patterns
- Compounding rules: Understand how different parts combine
- Sound changes: Be aware of rendaku (ๆฟ็น) in compounds
- Context awareness: Some formations are more natural than others