student asking question

Does the prefix "de-" refer to removing something?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

That’s correct! The prefix “de-” is used to mean reduce, reverse, remove, or do the opposite of the verb it precedes. Thus, “delink” here means to “remove the link.” It is similar to the prefix “un-.” Note that it cannot be applied to all verbs! Ex: I want to deactivate my account. Ex: How can I deconstruct this building?

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