Upsarg (Prefixes): Definition, Types, List and Identification — REET Hindi Grammar
This page covers the definition of upsarg (prefixes), their source-based types, a list of Sanskrit, Hindi and Urdu prefixes, and how to spot prefixes hidden by sandhi. REET 2024 carried 6 questions from this topic, making it one of the highest-scoring topics in Hindi grammar.
- 6 questions in REET 2024
- Class 1–8 level
- 8 min read
How REET asks this topic
REET 2024 carried 6 questions on upsarg, all following one pattern: 'which upsarg is present in this word' or 'which word is formed with this upsarg'. The words asked were — परिश्रम (परि), समन्वित (सम्), पर्याप्त (परि), प्रकृति (प्र), विज्ञान (वि) and प्रत्येक (प्रति). Notice that in half the questions, the prefix was hidden inside a sandhi-changed form (सम् + अन्वित, परि + आप्त, प्रति + एक). In other words, REET isn't testing rote memorisation of the list — it's testing whether you can correctly split (विच्छेद) the word.
What is upsarg?
Upsarg are word-parts that attach to the beginning of a root word and change, sharpen or reverse its meaning. The word 'उपसर्ग' itself comes from उप + सृज् (to join or create) — literally, something that joins in to create a new word. For example, हार with 'प्र' added becomes प्रहार (a blow), with 'वि' becomes विहार (an outing), with 'आ' becomes आहार (food), and with 'सम्' becomes संहार (destruction). The root word stays the same, but the meaning shifts completely each time the prefix changes.
Three features of upsarg matter for the exam: (1) an upsarg is never used on its own — it always attaches to a word and only then carries meaning; (2) it attaches at the beginning of a 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 meaning in three ways — it can change the meaning entirely (हार → प्रहार), sharpen it into a special sense (बल → प्रबल, ज्ञान → विज्ञान), or reverse it (मान → अपमान, यश → अपयश). In a handful of words the meaning stays close to the original, as in शुद्ध → विशुद्ध.
Sanskrit (tatsam) upsarg — meaning and examples
| Upsarg | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| अति | excess, beyond | अत्यंत, अतिरिक्त, अत्याचार, अतिक्रमण |
| अधि | above, superior | अधिकार, अध्यक्ष, अधिनियम, अध्ययन |
| अनु | after, similar to | अनुकरण, अनुज, अनुसार, अन्वय |
| अप | bad, opposite | अपमान, अपयश, अपव्यय, अपशब्द |
| अभि | toward, near | अभिमान, अभिनय, अभ्यास, अभिषेक |
| अव | down, inferior | अवगुण, अवनति, अवतार, अवशेष |
| आ | up to, along with | आजन्म, आगमन, आरक्षण, आजीवन |
| उत् / उद् | up, superior | उत्थान, उत्कर्ष, उद्गम, उद्धार |
| उप | near, secondary, assisting | उपवन, उपकार, उपनाम, उपमंत्री |
| दुर् / दुस् | bad, difficult | दुर्जन, दुर्गम, दुष्कर, दुस्साहस |
| नि | down, prohibition | निबंध, नियुक्त, निवास, निपात |
| निर् / निस् | without, outside | निर्धन, निराकार, निश्चल, निष्फल |
| परा | reverse, backward | पराजय, पराभव, पराक्रम |
| परि | all around, complete | परिश्रम, परिक्रमा, परिवार, पर्याप्त |
| प्र | forward, excess | 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 upsarg: दुर्/दुस् and निर्/निस् are counted separately, and adding 'अपि' (whose 'अ' is usually dropped, giving forms like पिधान) brings the count to 22.
Hindi, Urdu-Persian and English prefixes
| 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) | 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 | sub, head, vice, half | सब-इंस्पेक्टर, हेडमास्टर, वाइस-चांसलर, हाफ़-टिकट |
Some Sanskrit indeclinables (अव्यय) also function as prefixes in Hindi — such as अंतर् (अंतर्राष्ट्रीय), पुनर् (पुनर्जन्म), सह (सहपाठी), स्व (स्वतंत्र), चिर (चिरकाल), and बहिर् (बहिष्कार).
How to spot upsarg hidden inside sandhi
This is exactly where half of REET's questions trip candidates up. When the last letter of an upsarg meets the root word's first vowel, sandhi occurs and the prefix's visible form changes. The rule: first split the whole word using sandhi-vichchhed, then check whether the first segment appears in the standard upsarg list.
Examples with यण् sandhi: प्रति + एक = प्रत्येक (the upsarg is 'प्रति', not 'प्रत्'), परि + आप्त = पर्याप्त (upsarg 'परि', not 'पर्य'), अति + अंत = अत्यंत, अनु + अय = अन्वय, वि + अर्थ = व्यर्थ, सु + आगत = स्वागत. Examples with consonant 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 merely look like they start with a prefix but don't. In REET 2024's question on words with 'प्र', the options were प्राचीन, प्रथा, प्रकृति and प्रत्येक; the official answer was 'प्रकृति' (प्र + कृति). In 'प्रथा', removing 'प्र' leaves 'था' — not a meaningful root word — and प्रत्येक actually carries the upsarg 'प्रति'. Similarly, सभ्यता (सभ्य + ता) and रहस्य have no upsarg at all, and पूर्वाग्रह (पूर्व + आग्रह) is a compound/sandhi word in which 'पूर्व' does not appear in the standard upsarg list.
Upsarg vs pratyay (prefix vs suffix)
Upsarg (prefix)
PositionAt the beginning of the word
EffectUsually changes meaning
Exampleअ + ज्ञान = अज्ञान
Combined useवि + ज्ञान + इक = वैज्ञानिक — a single word can carry both an upsarg and a pratyay
Pratyay (suffix)
PositionAt the end of the word
EffectUsually changes the word's grammatical form (noun → adjective, etc.)
Exampleज्ञान + ई = ज्ञानी
Combined useसु + गंध + इत = सुगंधित
How to teach children
Activity: word-family tree (Class 4–8)
Write the root word 'हार' on the board and grow branches by adding प्र, वि, आ, सम्, उप to get प्रहार, विहार, आहार, संहार, उपहार. Have students use each new word in a sentence so they see, first-hand, how one prefix changes meaning.
Teaching materials
Make two sets of cards — one of upsarg, one of root words — and have children pair them up into meaningful words. Circling upsarg-containing words in newspaper clippings is also good practice.
Common misconception
Children assume the first syllable of a word is automatically the upsarg — as with 'प्र' in 'प्रथा'. Fix: teach the rule 'explain what the leftover part means'; if the leftover portion after removing the supposed prefix isn't a meaningful root word, it isn't an upsarg.
Teach alongside sandhi (Class 6–8)
Teach words like प्रत्येक, स्वागत, व्यर्थ together with यण् sandhi. Have students first write the sandhi-vichchhed, then underline the upsarg.
Assessment idea
Give a list of 10 words and have students fill a three-column table — upsarg, root word, new meaning. Include two 'trap' words (like प्रथा, सभ्यता) that carry no upsarg at all.
Memory trick / exam tip
'Split first, answer later': if an option shows a half-formed shape like 'प्रत्', 'पर्य', 'समन्', be careful — these are sandhi-altered forms, not upsarg. An upsarg is always the full standard form: प्रति, परि, सम्. For instance, 'समन्वित' does not carry the upsarg 'समन्' — it carries 'सम्' (सम् + अन्वित).
Questions asked in REET 2024 (solved)
Question 54
The prefix (उपसर्ग) in the word 'परिश्रम' is
- Aश्रम
- Bपरा
- Cप्र
- Dपरि
Explanation
‘परिश्रम’ शब्द ‘परि’ उपसर्ग और ‘श्रम’ मूल शब्द से बना है (परि + श्रम)। ‘परि’ का अर्थ है — चारों ओर/पूर्णतः। ‘श्रम’ मूल शब्द है, उपसर्ग नहीं।
Question 74
The prefix in the word 'समन्वित' is -
- Aस
- Bसम
- Cसम्
- Dसमन्
Explanation
‘समन्वित’ = सम् + अन्वित। यहाँ ‘सम्’ उपसर्ग है, जिसके ‘म्’ का ‘अ’ से मेल होकर ‘समन्वित’ बना है (जैसे सम् + आचार = समाचार)। ‘सम’ या ‘समन्’ मानक उपसर्ग रूप नहीं हैं।
Question 31
The prefix (उपसर्ग) in the word 'पर्याप्त' is –
- Aपरि
- Bपर्य
- Cपरा
- Dआप्त
Explanation
‘पर्याप्त’ शब्द की रचना परि + आप्त से हुई है; यहाँ ‘परि’ उपसर्ग है और परि + आ में यण् संधि होकर ‘पर्या’ बनता है। ‘पर्य’ कोई स्वतंत्र उपसर्ग नहीं है, वह परि का संधि-रूप मात्र है। ‘आप्त’ मूल शब्द है, उपसर्ग नहीं।
Question 83
Which of the following words is formed with the prefix 'प्र'?-
- Aप्राचीन
- Bप्रथा
- Cप्रकृति
- Dप्रत्येक
Explanation
‘प्रकृति’ = प्र (उपसर्ग) + कृति; यहाँ ‘प्र’ स्पष्ट उपसर्ग है। ‘प्रत्येक’ प्रति + एक (उपसर्ग ‘प्रति’) से बना है। ‘प्राचीन’ और ‘प्रथा’ में ‘प्र’ को अलग करने पर सार्थक मूल शब्द शेष नहीं रहता, इसलिए इन्हें ‘प्र’ उपसर्ग से बना नहीं माना गया।
Question 33
Among the following, the word containing a prefix (upsarg) is
- Aविज्ञान
- Bपूर्वाग्रह
- Cसभ्यता
- Dरहस्य
Explanation
‘विज्ञान’ = वि (उपसर्ग) + ज्ञान; यहाँ ‘वि’ उपसर्ग है जो ‘विशेष’ अर्थ देता है। ‘सभ्यता’ में ‘ता’ प्रत्यय है और ‘रहस्य’ मूल शब्द है। ‘पूर्वाग्रह’ मूलतः ‘पूर्व + आग्रह’ का संधि/समस्त पद है, इसलिए आधिकारिक उत्तर (A) विज्ञान है।
Question 86
In the word 'प्रत्येक' (each/every), the prefix is
- Aप्र
- Bप्रति
- Cप्रत्
- Dप्रती
Explanation
‘प्रत्येक’ = प्रति + एक। यहाँ यण् संधि से ‘इ’ का ‘य्’ हो गया है (प्रति + एक → प्रत्येक)। अतः उपसर्ग ‘प्रति’ है, ‘प्र’ या ‘प्रत्’ नहीं।
Practice questions
Question 1
The prefix (upsarg) in the word 'अत्याचार' is —
- Aअत्
- Bअति
- Cअत्या
- Dआ
Explanation
अत्याचार = अति + आचार. The 'इ' and 'आ' combine through यण् sandhi to form 'या', so the upsarg is 'अति'.
Question 2
In which of the following words is the prefix 'अप' present?
- Aअपना
- Bअपव्यय
- Cअपार
- Dअपूर्व
Explanation
अपव्यय = अप + व्यय (improper or wasteful spending). 'अपना' is a standalone word, 'अपार' = अ + पार, and 'अपूर्व' = अ + पूर्व — none of these carry the upsarg 'अप'.
Question 3
The prefix in the word 'उल्लास' is —
- Aउल्
- Bउत्
- Cउ
- Dउप
Explanation
उल्लास = उत् + लास. In consonant sandhi, 'त्' followed by 'ल' changes to 'ल्'; but the upsarg in its base form is still 'उत्'.
Question 4
The word formed with an Urdu-Persian prefix is —
- Aअनपढ़
- Bबेईमान
- Cकपूत
- Dअधमरा
Explanation
'बे' (without) is an Urdu-Persian upsarg — बे + ईमान. अन, क and अध are Hindi (tadbhav) prefixes.
Question 5
In which word is there NO prefix?
- Aविदेश
- Bप्रबल
- Cप्रथा
- Dअनुज
Explanation
'प्रथा' is a standalone word; removing 'प्र' leaves 'था', which isn't a meaningful root word. विदेश (वि), प्रबल (प्र) and अनुज (अनु) all genuinely carry an upsarg.
Question 6
The prefixes used in the word 'निराकरण' are —
- Aनि, र
- Bनिर्, आ
- Cनि, आ
- Dनिरा
Explanation
निराकरण = निर् + आ + करण. This word carries two upsarg together — 'निर्' and 'आ'.
Question 7
The correct split of the word 'स्वागत' is —
- Aस्व + आगत
- Bसु + आगत
- Cस + वागत
- Dसु + गत
Explanation
स्वागत = सु + आगत. 'उ' and 'आ' combine through यण् sandhi to form 'वा'; the upsarg is 'सु'.
Question 8
The prefix in 'दुष्कर' is —
- Aदुष्
- Bदु
- Cदुस्
- Dदुर्
Explanation
दुष्कर = दुस् + कर. When 'स्' is followed by 'क', it changes to 'ष्'; the upsarg is 'दुस्'.
Question 9
A Class 5 student says the prefix in 'प्रथा' is 'प्र'. The most appropriate approach for the teacher is —
- Aउत्तर गलत बताकर आगे बढ़ जाना
- Bउपसर्ग हटाकर बचे भाग का अर्थ पूछना और सार्थक मूल शब्द की कसौटी समझाना
- Cउपसर्गों की सूची दस बार लिखवाना
- Dप्रश्न को पाठ्यक्रम से बाहर बताना
Explanation
The leftover part ('था') is not a meaningful root word — this is a test the child can check for themselves. It builds real understanding instead of rote memorisation.
Question 10
Which statement about prefixes (upsarg) is NOT correct?
- Aउपसर्ग शब्द के आरंभ में लगता है
- Bउपसर्ग का स्वतंत्र प्रयोग सामान्यतः नहीं होता
- Cउपसर्ग सदा शब्द का अर्थ उलट देता है
- Dएक शब्द में एक से अधिक उपसर्ग हो सकते हैं
Explanation
An upsarg doesn't always reverse meaning; it can change meaning entirely (हार → प्रहार), sharpen it (बल → प्रबल), or reverse it (मान → अपमान).
Frequently asked questions
How many upsarg questions come in REET?+
REET 2024 carried 6 upsarg questions across Hindi Language I and II — all of the 'identify the upsarg in the given word' type.
How many Sanskrit upsarg are there?+
Traditionally, Sanskrit has 22 upsarg — प्र, परा, अप, सम्, अनु, अव, निस्, निर्, दुस्, दुर्, वि, आ, नि, अधि, अपि, अति, सु, उत्, अभि, प्रति, परि and उप.
Which upsarg is in 'प्रत्येक'?+
'प्रत्येक' = प्रति + एक. The upsarg here is 'प्रति'; यण् sandhi turns the 'इ' into 'य्'.
Can a word carry two upsarg?+
Yes. For example — प्रत्युपकार (प्रति + उप + कार), निराकरण (निर् + आ + करण), समालोचना (सम् + आ + लोचना).
What's the main difference between upsarg and pratyay?+
An upsarg attaches at the start of a word and changes meaning (मान → अपमान), while a pratyay attaches at the end and often changes grammatical form (मान → मानी).
Read next
Samas (Compounds)
Previous topic: the other basis of word-formation
Pratyay (Suffixes)
Next topic: word-parts that attach at the end of a word
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Questions from every shift, with the official answer key and explanations
Official Sources
Change Log
- 17 September 2026 — English page published — mirrors the fact-checked Hindi page, independently bilingual-accuracy checked