速い
hayai[ha̠ja̠i]
The Japanese word for quick is 速い (hayai).
速い is an adjective used to describe something moving with speed.
Meaning: moving with speed (adj)
Which one should you use?
Be careful not to confuse 速い with 早い. While both are pronounced hayai, 速い refers specifically to speed, whereas 早い means 'early' in the context of time.
How does it change in a sentence?
To change this adjective into an adverb meaning 'quickly', change the final vowel to 'ku' to form 速く.
How do you pronounce it?
hayai
Did you know?
- When describing a 'quick' meal or a 'quick' shower, Japanese speakers rarely use 速い and instead use 短い meaning 'short' or 早急に for urgency.
- To describe someone who speaks too fast, Japanese uses the word 早口, which literally translates to 'early mouth'.
- The Kanji for 速い contains a radical that originally related to the idea of 'walking' or 'movement', emphasizing the physical nature of speed.
Examples in context
- 彼は歩くのが速い。He's a quick walker.This sentence shows how to describe someone as a quick walker using 速い.Tatoeba #100083 by bunbuku, translation #303614 by sundown
- 何て速いんだろう。So quick!This sentence is an exclamation used to express that something is so quick using 速い.Tatoeba #187814 by bunbuku, translation #24952 by Shadd
- 彼は速い足取りで歩いた。He walked at a quick pace.This sentence describes walking at a quick pace using 速い.Tatoeba #102675 by bunbuku, translation #301019 by CK
- 彼は速いランナーです。He is a fast runner.
- 列車は速く発車しました。The train departed quickly.
- 彼は迅速な対応ができます。He can respond quickly.
- この会社は迅速なサービスを提供しています。This company provides quick service.
- もっと早く仕上げたい。I want to finish it more quickly.
- 彼女はキビキビした動きが特徴的だ。She has brisk movements that are characteristic of her.
- この店はキビキビとした接客が魅力だ。This store has attractive and efficient customer service.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Yota are talking about a new train.
- 美咲 Misakiこの電車は本当に速いですね。Kono densha wa hontou ni hayai desu ne.This train is really fast, isn't it?
- 陽太 Yotaええ、すぐに着きますよ。Ee, sugu ni tsukimasu yo.Yeah, we'll arrive soon.
- 美咲 Misaki前の電車よりずっと速いです。Mae no densha yori zutto hayai desu.It's much faster than the previous train.
- 陽太 Yota便利になっていいですね。Benri ni natte ii desu ne.It's great that it has become more convenient.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “quick” translations and entries 速い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
