Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 迅速地 | xùnsù de |
| 快速地 | kuàisù de |
| 急速地 | jísù de |
| 趕快地 / 赶快地 | gǎnkuài de |
While several terms exist for 'quickly', the most common way to say it in Mandarin Chinese is 很快 (hěn kuài), which is suitable for both formal and informal settings. For extremely high speeds or sudden, sharp changes, such as a car accelerating or a price dropping sharply, you should use 急速地.
What does it mean word for word?
In the forms provided, the particle 地 is an adverbial particle placed after an adjective to turn it into an adverb, functioning similarly to the English suffix '-ly'.
Which one should you use?
The choice between forms depends on the nuance of speed: 迅速地 implies a sense of efficiency or promptness in responding to a situation, whereas 快速地 focuses more on the physical speed of an action. Unlike these adverbial forms, 趕快 is often used as a verb or an imperative to urge someone to do something immediately.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwanese Mandarin, 快速 is frequently used to describe something moving at a fast pace or happening quickly. In Cantonese, the expression 好快 (hou2 faai3) is used to convey the concept of quickly.
How does it change in a sentence?
To form an adverb from an adjective, place the particle 地 after the adjective.
How do you pronounce it?
xùnsù de
Did you know?
- The character 快 in 很快 can also mean 'happy' or 'joyful' in other contexts, depending on the surrounding words.
- The particle 地 used to form adverbs is visually distinct from its counterparts 的 and 得, which are used for other grammatical functions and are often confused by learners.
- In Cantonese, the adverbial 'quickly' is expressed using the phrase 好快, which literally translates to 'very fast'.
Examples in context
- 她快速地翻過這本雜誌。She paged quickly through the magazine.This sentence shows the use of 快速地 to describe paging through a magazine.Tatoeba #6401600 by RickShaw, translation #7063353 by AlexParrish
- 我迅速地吃了午飯。I quickly ate lunch.This sentence demonstrates using 迅速地 to describe eating lunch quickly.Tatoeba #832456 by Martha, translation #433484 by CK
- 消息快速地傳了開去。The news quickly spread.This sentence illustrates how 快速地 can describe news spreading.Tatoeba #1570844 by nickyeow, translation #35952 by CK
- 他很快跑到了终点。(Tā hěn kuài pǎo dào le zhōngdiǎn.)He quickly ran to the finish line.
- 我们需要迅速地采取行动。(Wǒmen xūyào xùnsù de cǎiqǔ xíngdòng.)We need to take swift action.
- 快点，我们要迟到了！(Kuài diǎn, wǒmen yào chídào le!)Hurry up, we'll be late!
- 赶快把作业做完吧！(Gǎn kuài bǎ zuòyè zuò wán ba!)Finish your homework quickly!
- 這個遊戲非常刺激，節奏快速。(Zhe4 ge4 you2 xi4 fei1 chang2 ci4 ji1, jie2 zou4 kuai4 su4.)This game is very exciting, and the rhythm is fast-paced.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
In an office, Junjie tells Zihan to finish a task.
- 俊杰 Junjie請迅速地完成這份報告。Qǐng xùnsù dì wánchéng zhè fèn bàogào.Please complete this report quickly.
- 梓涵 Zihan沒問題，我會盡快處理。Méi wèntí, wǒ huì jǐnkuài chǔlǐ.No problem, I will handle it as soon as possible.
- 俊杰 Junjie謝謝妳，妳效率很高。Xièxiè nǐ, nǐ xiàolǜ hěn gāo.Thank you, you are very efficient.
- 梓涵 Zihan這是我應該做的。Zhè shì wǒ yīnggāi zuò de.It is my duty.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “quickly” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
