在常用词childish中，有个英语本族语的形容词后缀-ish。它可以加在两类单词后面，构成形容词：1)加在名词后面，表示 like〜（像…的），of〜（与…有关的），tending to〜（有…倾向的）；加在表年龄与时间的数词后，表亦about or slightly past〜 (大约…的）。2)加在形容词后面，其意义相当于程度副词somewhat(稍微，有点）。顺便指出，-ish还是个来自法语的动词后缀。

先介绍名词或数词与-ish构成形容词的例子。

childish [child n. 小孩;-ish→]a. like a child; immature; foolish 孩子气的；幼稚的；傻气的/ Crying for things you cant't have is childish. 东西得不到手就哭闹是很幼稚的。

girlish [girl n. 少女；-ish→]a. ① of a girl 少女的 / The old woman liked to remember her girlish youth. 那老太太喜欢回忆自己的少女年华。②like a girl; like that of a girl少女似的/ She had a slim girlish figure even at her fifties. 甚至在50多岁时，她依然有着少女般苗条的身段。

English [Engl (←England)n. 英国；-ish→]a. of or having to do with England, its people or language 英国的；英国人的；英语的 / He is now at college studying ancient English history.他正在大学学习英国古代史。

bookish [book n. 书；-ish→“tending to books 倾向于书本的”→]a. ① fond of reading or studying; studious 好学的；勤学的 / The bookish boy spends many hours reading every day. 那好学的男孩每天都要看好几小时的书。②knowing books better than real life 书生气的 /The scholar was completely a bookish man, lost in the business world. 那位学者是书生气十足的人，在商务场上茫然失措。