Here's a breakdown:
* Morpheme: The smallest meaningful unit of language.
* Free: Can stand alone as a complete word.
* Bound: Cannot stand alone and must be attached to another morpheme.
Examples of free morphemes:
* Cat: A single word with a clear meaning.
* Run: Another single word with a clear meaning.
* Happy: Again, a single word with a clear meaning.
Examples of bound morphemes:
* -ing: This suffix (added to the end of a word) changes the word's meaning (e.g., "run" becomes "running").
* un-: This prefix (added to the beginning of a word) changes the word's meaning (e.g., "happy" becomes "unhappy").
In summary: Free morphemes are the building blocks of words, capable of conveying meaning on their own.