Prefix · across / through
Signals crossing, transformation, or movement through: transport, transform, translate, transfer.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
Trans- comes from Latin "trans" (across, through, beyond) and signals movement through space or a change from one state to another: transport = carry across space; transfer = carry from one side to another; transform = change completely in form; translate = carry meaning from one language to another (literally "carry across").
Beyond physical movement, trans- signals a deep change of form or condition: transform = change radically in form; transition = pass from one state to another; transplant = plant somewhere else; transmit = send from one point to another. In every case there is a clear "before" and "after" state.
Attaches to verbs and nouns with no spelling change. Identical in Spanish and English:
Trans- is identical in Spanish and English. Pronunciation: /træns/, with a short "a" as in "cat."
trans-/træns/
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Although both etymologically mean "carry across," in modern English they are completely separate: translate = linguistic conversion; transport = physical movement. They are not interchangeable.
"A TRANSfer" (noun) vs "to transFER" (verb). This stress shift is a common English pattern shared by: record, permit, present, contest, and many others.
A trick to remember it
Trans- = "across" or "to the other side": transport = carry across space, translate = carry across languages, transform = carry across to another form. Every time you see trans-, look for the starting point and the destination — trans- connects the two.
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"The caterpillar ___ into a butterfly over several weeks inside the cocoon."
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
What is the correct stress on "transfer" as a noun?
The prefix trans- signals crossing, transformation, or movement through: transport, transform, translate, transfer. In Spanish it usually maps to trans- / trasnochado.
The prefix trans- is pronounced /træns/. For example, "transport".
"port" becomes "transport". It is a typical example of the trans- prefix.
un-, re-, pre-, dis-, over-, in-... every beginning you need to unlock thousands of English words at once.