Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 快 | kuài |
| 迅速 | xùnsù |
The primary way to express the concept of moving with speed is through the word 快. While it is the most common term, you may also use 迅速 to describe rapid changes or swift actions. Additionally, the word can be used in specific grammatical patterns to indicate that something is about to happen.
Which one should you use?
While 快 is the common, everyday word for quick, 迅速 is a more formal and literary term that carries a sense of urgency and swiftness, often used to mean 'rapid' or 'swift'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Guangdong province, the Cantonese phrase 快啲 is used as an equivalent to the Mandarin terms for quick.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that someone or something is 'very quick', place the adverb 很 before 快 to form 很快. You can also use the pattern 快…了 to change the meaning from 'quick' to 'about to', which indicates an imminent action. Finally, adding the particle 點 to 快 creates an informal imperative used to tell someone to hurry up or move faster.
How do you pronounce it?
kuài
Did you know?
- The character 快 contains the radical 忄, which represents the heart. Because of this, the word describes not only physical speed but also a state of being happy or cheerful.
- While 快 means quick, the phrase 快慢 is used to describe 'speed' in general. It literally translates to 'quick-slow', combining opposites to create a general noun.
- When telling someone to hurry up, speakers often say 快快 by doubling the word. This reduplication is a common way to add a sense of urgency or a softer, coaxing tone to the command.
Examples in context
- 她反應很快。She has a very quick mind.This sentence uses 快 to describe a quick reaction or mind.Tatoeba #6447546 by verdastelo9604, translation #2259132 by _undertoad
- 他走路很快。He's a quick walker.This sentence uses 快 to describe a person walking quickly.Tatoeba #8888278 by crescat, translation #303614 by sundown
- 他們會儘快。They'll be quick.This sentence uses 快 to express that people will act quickly.Tatoeba #13199799 by LeviHighway, translation #12911354 by Asif
- 请你快速地完成这项任务。Please complete this task quickly.
- 这家公司在处理问题时非常迅速。This company handles issues very quickly.
- 快点吧，我们要迟到了！Hurry up, we're going to be late!
- 请你快一点回复我的邮件。Please reply to my email a bit quicker.
- 一个快速的决定A quick decision
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two colleagues are talking in the office about a delivery.
- 伟 Wei這份快遞來得很快。Zhè fèn kuàidì lái de hěn kuài.This delivery arrived very quickly.
- 梓涵 Zihan是的，運送速度很快。Shì de, yùnsòng sùdù hěn kuài.Yes, the shipping speed is very fast.
- 伟 Wei梓涵，妳覺得這家公司快嗎？Zǐhán, nǐ juédé zhè jiā gōngsī kuài ma?Zihan, do you think this company is fast?
- 梓涵 Zihan我覺得他們的服務很快。Wǒ juédé tāmen de fúwù hěn kuài.I think their service is very fast.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “quick” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
