Suffixes: -ness / -less / -ful

-ness, -less, -ful.

example: ill adj. (being sick)

==>

illness n. (a disease)

Examples with the word 'child' child n.NIO childhood n.INFANCIA childish adj.: INFANTIL childishly adv.INFANTILMENTE childishness n.PUERILIDAD childless adj. SIN HIJOS

-ness
adjective + ness ==> noun
adjective bald Cool dark dry Fit Kind lazy noun baldness coolness darkness dryness fitness: kindness laziness ' the state of being bald a moderate degree of cold (coldness: froideur) pitch darkness: obscurit profonde of region, weather, skin

lonely ugly (laid)

loneliness ugliness (laideur)

dry ==> dryness

shy ==> shyness

sly ==> slyness

Goblins are small supernatural creatures well known for their ugliness.

-less
noun + less ==> adjective

homeless / colourless

noun End flavour Harm heart motion price shame Sleep weight

adjective endless flavourless harmless heartless motionless priceless shameless sleepless weightless a sleepless night sans prix The heartless wolf eats the lamb. without flavour / (US flavor / flavorless)

An astronaut inside an orbiting vehicle has the experience of weightlessness.

weight (noun) ==> weightless (adjective) ==> weightlessness (noun)

-ful
John is hopeful of passing his exam. Sarah is a wonderful teacher.

noun + -ful ==> adjective

noun care colour fear harm joy Pain plenty power skill careful colourful fearful harmful joyful painful plentiful powerful skilful US color, colorful adjective

One can choose to rob a bank, but it's not lawful. (lgal)

The suffix -ful has been derived from the English word "full" and the literal meaning is "full of". Some meanings are can be a little more abstract and it may be harder to understand the meaning the first time you meet these words. For example the suffix -ful can also mean "characterised by or given, able or tending to be something". NOTE: the suffix -ful is written with only one 'l'.

Bill is hopeful of receiving a job offer. - Literally "Bob is full of hope". Mary brought in an armful of washing. - Literally "Mary's arm are full". We ate a wonderful meal in the new Japanese restaurant. - "Full of wonder" is not the right meaning here. 'Excellent' is a better translation.

The suffix -less has been derived from the English word "less" and the literal meaning is "without" or "lacking". Some meanings are more abstract. For example the suffix -less can mean "unable to act or be acted on in a specified way".

The liquid produced in the reaction is colourless. - Literally "without colour". His addiction ruined his life. He lost everything and eventually became homeless. - Literally "without a home". Susan really hurt Tony's feeling with that comment. She can be so thoughtless sometimes. Literally "without a thought", although better translated as "inconsiderate".

Often the suffices -ful and -less and be found in pairs:

thought thoughtful : thoughtless help helpful : helpless law lawful : lawless

However there are many case when the adjective ending in -ful does not have the corresponding adjective ending in -less and vice versa

sleep sleepful : sleepless beauty beautiful : beautiless

NOTE: it is more common for the adjective ending in -less not to have the corresponding adjective ending in -ful.