Upsarg: Definition, Types, List and Identification — Patwari Notes
This page covers the definition of upsarg, its classification by source, the list of Sanskrit-Hindi-Urdu prefixes, and the method for spotting a prefix hidden by sandhi. This topic is considered one of the highest-scoring topics in Hindi grammar.
- Class 1–8 level
- 8 min read
What is Upsarg (a prefix)?
Upsarg are word-fragments that attach to the beginning of a root word and change its meaning, add a nuance to it, or reverse it. The word 'उपसर्ग' itself comes from उप + सृज् ('to join/create') — that is, something that comes close and creates a new word. For example — with हार, adding 'प्र' gives प्रहार (a blow), adding 'वि' gives विहार (an excursion), adding 'आ' gives आहार (food), and adding 'सम्' gives संहार (destruction). The root word is the same each time, but the moment the prefix changes, the meaning changes.
Three features of upsarg matter for the exam: (1) an upsarg is never used on its own — it only carries meaning when attached before a word; (2) it attaches at the beginning of the word, whereas a pratyay (suffix) attaches at the end; (3) a single word can carry more than one upsarg — for example, प्रत्युपकार (प्रति + उप + कार), निराकरण (निर् + आ + करण), समालोचना (सम् + आ + लोचना).
Adding an upsarg affects a word's meaning in three ways — the meaning can change entirely (हार → प्रहार), gain a nuance (बल → प्रबल, ज्ञान → विज्ञान), or reverse (मान → अपमान, यश → अपयश). In a few words, the meaning stays roughly the same — for example, शुद्ध → विशुद्ध.
Sanskrit (tatsam) prefixes — meaning and examples
| Upsarg | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| अति | more, beyond | अत्यंत, अतिरिक्त, अत्याचार, अतिक्रमण |
| अधि | above, superior | अधिकार, अध्यक्ष, अधिनियम, अध्ययन |
| अनु | after, similar | अनुकरण, अनुज, अनुसार, अन्वय |
| अप | bad, opposite | अपमान, अपयश, अपव्यय, अपशब्द |
| अभि | in front, near | अभिमान, अभिनय, अभ्यास, अभिषेक |
| अव | down, inferior | अवगुण, अवनति, अवतार, अवशेष |
| आ | up to, including | आजन्म, आगमन, आरक्षण, आजीवन |
| उत् / उद् | up, superior | उत्थान, उत्कर्ष, उद्गम, उद्धार |
| उप | near, helping, secondary | उपवन, उपकार, उपनाम, उपमंत्री |
| दुर् / दुस् | bad, difficult | दुर्जन, दुर्गम, दुष्कर, दुस्साहस |
| नि | down, negation | निबंध, नियुक्त, निवास, निपात |
| निर् / निस् | without, out | निर्धन, निराकार, निश्चल, निष्फल |
| परा | reverse, behind | पराजय, पराभव, पराक्रम |
| परि | all around, complete | परिश्रम, परिक्रमा, परिवार, पर्याप्त |
| प्र | forward, more | प्रकृति, प्रबल, प्रयोग, प्रस्थान |
| प्रति | each, against | प्रत्येक, प्रतिदिन, प्रतिकूल, प्रत्युत्तर |
| वि | special, different | विज्ञान, विदेश, वियोग, व्यर्थ |
| सम् | well, together | संगम, संतोष, समाचार, समन्वित |
| सु | good, easy | सुगम, सुपुत्र, स्वागत, सुलभ |
Tradition counts 22 Sanskrit prefixes: this number is reached by counting दुर्/दुस् and निर्/निस् separately and adding 'अपि' (whose 'अ' is often dropped, giving the form 'पि', as in पिधान).
Prefixes from Hindi, Urdu-Persian, and English
| Source | Prefix (meaning) | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Hindi (tadbhav) | अ / अन (not) | अछूता, अजान, अनबन, अनपढ़ |
| Hindi (tadbhav) | अध (half) | अधमरा, अधपका, अधखिला |
| Hindi (tadbhav) | उन (one less) | उनतीस, उनचास, उन्नीस |
| Hindi (tadbhav) | क / कु (bad) | कपूत, कुचाल, कुढंग |
| Hindi (tadbhav) | दु (bad, two) | दुबला, दुकाल, दुलत्ती |
| Hindi (tadbhav) | नि (without) | निडर, निकम्मा, निहत्था |
| Hindi (tadbhav) | बिन (without) | बिनबोले, बिनब्याहा, बिनखाया |
| Hindi (tadbhav) | भर (full/entire) | भरपेट, भरपूर, भरसक |
| Hindi (tadbhav) | स / सु (with, good) | सपूत, सजग, सुडौल |
| Urdu-Persian | कम (little) | कमज़ोर, कमसिन, कमबख़्त |
| Urdu-Persian | ग़ैर (different, not) | ग़ैरहाज़िर, ग़ैरक़ानूनी, ग़ैरसरकारी |
| Urdu-Persian | ना (not) | नालायक, नापसंद, नासमझ |
| Urdu-Persian | बद (bad) | बदनाम, बदबू, बदतमीज़ |
| Urdu-Persian | बे (without) | बेईमान, बेचारा, बेकार |
| Urdu-Persian | ला (without) | लापरवाह, लाजवाब, लावारिस |
| Urdu-Persian | हर (each) | हरदिन, हरएक, हरसाल |
| English | सब, हेड, वाइस, हाफ़ (sub, head, vice, half) | सब-इंस्पेक्टर, हेडमास्टर, वाइस-चांसलर, हाफ़-टिकट |
Some Sanskrit indeclinables are also used in Hindi like prefixes — for example अंतर् (अंतर्राष्ट्रीय), पुनर् (पुनर्जन्म), सह (सहपाठी), स्व (स्वतंत्र), चिर (चिरकाल), बहिर् (बहिष्कार).
How to spot a prefix hidden by sandhi
This is exactly where candidates often get tripped up in exams. When the last sound of a prefix meets the root word's first vowel, a sandhi occurs and the prefix's form changes. The rule: first do the sandhi-vichchhed (breakdown) of the whole word, then check whether the first part is on the standard list of prefixes.
Examples involving Yan sandhi: प्रति + एक = प्रत्येक (the prefix is 'प्रति', not 'प्रत्'), परि + आप्त = पर्याप्त (the prefix is 'परि', not 'पर्य'), अति + अंत = अत्यंत, अनु + अय = अन्वय, वि + अर्थ = व्यर्थ, सु + आगत = स्वागत. Examples involving consonant (vyanjan) sandhi: सम् + अन्वित = समन्वित, सम् + आचार = समाचार, सम् + गम = संगम, उत् + लास = उल्लास, दुर् + गम = दुर्गम, निस् + फल = निष्फल.
The second trap is words that look like they start with a prefix but don't. For example, a question on words with the 'प्र' prefix might offer प्राचीन, प्रथा, प्रकृति and प्रत्येक as options; the correct answer among these would be 'प्रकृति' (प्र + कृति). Removing 'प्र' from 'प्रथा' leaves 'था', which isn't a meaningful root word, and प्रत्येक actually carries the prefix 'प्रति'. Likewise, 'सभ्यता' (सभ्य + ता) and 'रहस्य' have no prefix at all, and 'पूर्वाग्रह' (पूर्व + आग्रह) is a compound/sandhi word in which 'पूर्व' is not on the standard prefix list.
The difference between Upsarg and Pratyay
| Basis | Upsarg (prefix) | Pratyay (suffix) |
|---|---|---|
| Position | At the start of the word | At the end of the word |
| Effect | Usually changes the meaning | Usually changes the word class/form (e.g., noun to adjective) |
| Example | अ + ज्ञान = अज्ञान | ज्ञान + ई = ज्ञानी |
| Combined use | वि + ज्ञान + इक = वैज्ञानिक — a single word can carry both a prefix and a suffix | सु + गंध + इत = सुगंधित |
Memory trick / exam tip
'Break it down first, answer later': if the options show half-formed shapes like 'प्रत्', 'पर्य', 'समन्', be careful — these are sandhi-altered forms. A prefix is always its full, standard form: प्रति, परि, सम्. For example, in 'समन्वित' the prefix is not 'समन्' but 'सम्' (सम् + अन्वित).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Sanskrit prefixes are there?+
By tradition, Sanskrit has 22 prefixes — प्र, परा, अप, सम्, अनु, अव, निस्, निर्, दुस्, दुर्, वि, आ, नि, अधि, अपि, अति, सु, उत्, अभि, प्रति, परि and उप.
Which prefix is in 'प्रत्येक'?+
'प्रत्येक' = प्रति + एक. The prefix here is 'प्रति'; because of Yan sandhi, the 'इ' changes to 'य्'.
Can a single word have two prefixes?+
Yes. For example — प्रत्युपकार (प्रति + उप + कार), निराकरण (निर् + आ + करण), समालोचना (सम् + आ + लोचना).
What is the main difference between upsarg and pratyay?+
An upsarg attaches at the start of the word and changes its meaning (मान → अपमान), while a pratyay attaches at the end of the word (मान → मानी).