A suffix is a word added at the end of a word or phrase to change its meaning. For example, the suffix -ness means something is true, real, or exists. The suffix -able means something can be done or achieved.

Suffixes are important because they add meaning to words. They also help us identify the gender of nouns, pronouns, and verbs.

Suffixes are often used to create new words. For example, the prefix “un-” creates the word “underestimate”. Another common example is the word “-ize”, which turns a verb into a noun.

A good example would be the word "the". Without the "the", we would not know what kind of object we were talking about. 

We could say "I have a book" or "I have a pen." But if we add the "the," we know exactly what kind of object we are referring to. 

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So, a suffix is just any word added to a noun to make it mean something different. There are many types of suffixes, but here are some examples:

 -al: means belonging to; as in "a dog's tail"

 -ance: means state of being; as in "an army of ants"

 -ate: means eating; as in "a meal of pasta"

 -ation: means action or activity; as in "a dance party"

 -er: means doer; as in "a baker"

 -ism: means belief system; as in "a Christian's religion"

 -ness: means quality; as in "a nice person"

 -y: means relating to; as in "the boy's room"

 -ful: means complete; as in "a full moon"

 -ous: means having qualities; as in "a beautiful house"

 -ure: means doing; as in "a doctor's office"

 -ive: means capable of; as in "a lively child"

 -ize: means to make; as in "to make a cake"