非常快
fēicháng kuài
In Chinese, 'very fast' is translated as 非常快 (fēicháng kuài).
非常快 is used to describe something that moves or happens at a high speed. This applies to both physical movement, such as a car and the speed of an abstract process, such as a reaction or a change.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 非常 (fēicháng), meaning 'very' or 'extraordinary' and 快 (kuài), meaning 'fast'.
Which one should you use?
While 很快 (hěn kuài) is a standard way to say 'very fast', 非常快 carries a stronger emphasis, closer to 'extraordinarily fast'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When describing how an action is performed, you must use the adverbial particle 得 between the verb and the adverbial phrase 非常快, as seen in the construction 跑得非常快 (run very fast).
How do you pronounce it?
fēicháng kuài
Did you know?
- The character 快 (kuài) is also the root of the word for 'happy' (快乐 kuàilè). This stems from an ancient association between a 'fast' or 'sharp' feeling and a sense of liberation or joy.
- To emphasize that something is 'extremely fast' beyond even 非常快, speakers might use the slang term 快得飞起 (kuài dé fēi qǐ), which literally means 'so fast that it takes flight'.
- In some contexts, 快 (kuài) can be used to mean 'almost' or 'nearly' when paired with 了 (le). For example, 快要…了 describes something that is about to happen very soon.
Examples in context
- 你非常快。You're very fast.This sentence is useful for stating that someone is 非常快.Tatoeba #3378198 by GlossaMatik, translation #2218483 by CK
- 燕子飞得非常快。Swallows fly very fast.This sentence uses 非常快 to describe how swallows fly.Tatoeba #677652 by sysko, translation #9013903 by CK
- 他無法跑得非常快。He couldn't run very fast.This sentence demonstrates the use of 非常快 in a negative context regarding running speed.Tatoeba #802007 by Martha, translation #288822 by CK
- 他以极快速度完成了工作。He completed the task at a very fast speed.
- 她跑得飞快，创下了纪录。She ran so fast, breaking the record.
- 他的车开得风一样的快。He drove as fast as the wind.
- 她朝着终点飞奔而去。She rushed towards the finish line.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zihan and Wei are talking about a new train.
- 梓涵 Zihan这列高铁运行得非常快。Zhè liè gāotiě yùnxíng de fēicháng kuài.This high-speed train runs very fast.
- 伟 Wei真的吗？需要多久到目的地？Zhēnde ma? Xūyào duōjiǔ dào mùdìdì?Really? How long does it take to reach the destination?
- 梓涵 Zihan只要两个小时，非常快。Zhǐyào liǎng gè xiǎoshí, fēicháng kuài.It only takes two hours, it's very fast.
- 伟 Wei那太方便了，梓涵。Nà tài fāngbiàn le, Zǐhán.That's so convenient, Zihan.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
