We know that the new spelling reform went into effect on January 1, 2009. With it, several changes arrived and made the way we spell certain words a little different. But believe me: the way we pronounced them remained the same. Do you remember some words, such as: “fifty, sausage”, among others? Well, only the umlaut no longer exists, but they are still pronounced the same way.
In our meeting, we will talk a little bit about the hyphen – this very well-known dash that has undergone several transformations. Do you want to know them, then, in order to adapt to the new rules as soon as possible? So, so you don't get so discouraged, let's try to learn in a very fun way, yes?
Well, you don't have to be a superhero or a superhero to learn everything quickly. Did you see? Superhero is a word that has a prefix and another word that follows it beginning with “h”. Besides it, there are others, such as:Superman, mini-hotel, anti-hygienic, anti-hero, superhuman, among others.
Have you ever thought about becoming a good driver? Wait a minute, for that you'll have to enroll in a driving school. Hey! Driving school now writes together? Yes, all the words where the prefix ends in a vowel (auto) and the second word starts with a different vowel (school), they will stick together. Notice how they were spelled before and how they are now:
| Before | Now |
| self learning | self learning |
| Self esteem | Self esteem |
| semi-open | semi-open |
| semi-literate | semi-literate |
By the way, do you like microwave popcorn? Well then, let's prepare it in the microwave, spelled with a hyphen, of course. After the new spelling reform, words in which the prefix ends with a vowel (micro) and the second little word begins with the same vowel (waves) can no longer remain together. Let's see some more examples?
| Before | Now |
| Anti-inflammatory | Anti-inflammatory |
| Micro bus | Micro bus |
| Microorganism | Microorganism |
But beware:
* This rule is not applicable to “-co”, “-pro” and “-re” prefixes, as is the case for:
coordinate – co-obligate, re-edit, co-operate, etc.
So, try to cooperate with our dear Portuguese language, learning everything right.
You know that top secret hiding place? It seems that you found the presence of the two “ss” strange, isn't it? Yes, top secret and the other words where the second of them starts with “r” or “s” have these two consonants duplicated and they stay close together, close together. Let's see some examples?
| Before | Now |
| anteroom | anteroom |
| Anti social | antisocial |
| anti-racism | anti-racism |
| Self Portrait | self portrait |
We don't need to be flying around, like Bem-te-Vi, finding all this very difficult, ok? Ah! Of course you noticed that bem-te-vi has the hyphen, right? Yes, it remains in all compound words that name animals, plants, fruits, flowers, roots and seeds. Let's meet some?
The hyphen was one of the elements that showed the most variations in the New Orthographic Agreement
cauliflower – fennel – black pepper – golden lion tamarin, cloves, etc.
Have you ever parachuted? And how this little word was written do you also remember? Well, far from being bossy, but I'd like you to remember that bigwig and parachute told the hyphen to take a little walk.
Before, they were spelled like this: umbrella and parachute.
Do you consider yourself a super friend? So show that you are a super friend of our language by learning the words in which the first (super) element ends with consonant and the second word starts with a different consonant or with a vowel (friend), no hyphenation, understood? Let's see a few words:
superfriend – superinteresting – hyperacidity – hypermarket – interstate – underemployment – overpopulation, etc.
Everything we've learned so far makes you feel like a new learner of so many rules, don't you agree? Therefore, words with the following prefixes: just, beyond, below, ex, post, pre or vice are spelled with a hyphen, so let's see some of them:
ex-student – graduate – vice-principal – prehistoric – newborn – overseas – overboard...
You know the word Tupi-Guarani, right? Well, know that all those in which the prefix comes from that language (Tupi-Guarani) are hyphenated. Let's see some examples?
capim-açu – amoré-guaçu – cajá-mirim – alligator-açu, among others.
Here's a little question: do you show yourself a super-romantic in your conquests? If so, be aware that super-romantic and the other words in which the prefix ends with a consonant and the second word starts with an equal consonant remain spelled with the hyphen. So don't be super resistant to this learning and check out some examples:
super-exquisite – super-racist – sub-librarian – inter-regional...
Do you know when, sometimes, we wake up in that bad mood? Surely there will be someone who calls us grumpy, isn't there? Now, don't call, tell this person that you are aware of the new rules, because in cases where the adverb of “mal” mode is present and the word after it starts with a vowel or with an “h”, the words will be spelled with the hyphen. Among them we can highlight:
ill-mannered – grumpy – ill-inhabited – ill-brushed...
Now, pay attention to an important detail: why are sleepless and underdressed are not spelled with the hyphen? Simply because the second element starts with another consonant, not “h”, ok?
If you are from Porto Alegre, you are a... Of course you got it right, because you are a Porto Alegre. Just like all those people:
Belo-Horizontines – Riograndenses-do-Norte, among others.
This example was just for you to notice that in compound words derived from proper names and places the hyphen will always be present.
See how it wasn't that complicated? Yes, now you are aware of the new changes, ready to use them whenever necessary.
By Vânia Duarte
Graduated in Letters
