Today we help explain the use of suffix and explain one particular suffix “-ish” using examples in everyday English conversation.

The full article can be found here: https://adeptenglish.com/2019/05/30/how-to-use-the-ish-suffix

This Articles Group: https://adeptenglish.com/learn-english-by-listening/

Last Article In Group: https://adeptenglish.com/2019/05/23/esl-short-stories-for-adults/

Summary: How To Use The Ish Suffix

There are lots of suffices used in the English language, like; “-ism” real-ism, “-ist” real-ist, “-ista” fashion-ista, “-istic” pur-istic, “-al” familli-al. You could look up more if you want (-ion, -ior, -ious, -isation, -ise).

Native English speakers often use the -ish suffix as a way of approximating something. For example, I think the coat colour was green, so I might say “The coat was green-ish.” We native English speakers often break the rules, younger English speakers abuse the use of a suffix to make a word cool, I heard someone young saying they thought the behaviour of a person was “creep-ish” i.e. they “the person in question” was obnoxious or weird but not completely creepy. Young English speakers sometimes just say "ish" using the suffix as a word in it's own right to answer a question.

It used to be simple, use -ish when you were being inclusive or trying to suggest “belonging to” for example “Brit-ish”, “Dan-ish”, and mostly use -ish for approximation. Today you hear words with a suffix just to make them sound cool.

The only way to learn the sufficed words worth learning is by listening to native English speakers use the words in everyday conversation. So listen!

A photograph of cold-ish day with the sun rising. Used as an article image for the article "Listen And Learn How To Use The Ish Suffix Article Image"

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