kuàisù: 快速 - Fast, Rapid, High-Speed
Quick Summary
Keywords: 快速, kuaisu, fast in Chinese, rapid Chinese, high-speed, Chinese for quick, HSK 4 vocabulary, difference between 快 and 快速, learn Chinese fast, express lane, fast charging, 中国速度
Summary: Discover the meaning of 快速 (kuàisù), the essential Chinese word for “fast,” “rapid,” and “high-speed.” This comprehensive guide explores its cultural connection to modern China's development, breaks down the characters 快 and 速, and provides over 10 practical example sentences. Learn the crucial difference between 快速 (kuàisù) and the simpler 快 (kuài) to describe everything from high-speed trains to rapid economic growth.
Core Meaning
Pinyin (with tone marks): kuài sù
Part of Speech: Adjective, Adverb
HSK Level: HSK 4
Concise Definition: Describes an action, process, or object as operating at a high speed or rate.
In a Nutshell: 快速 (kuàisù) is a more formal and intense way to say “fast” compared to the single character 快 (kuài). Think of it as “high-speed” or “rapid.” While you might say a person runs 快 (kuài), you would describe a bullet train or economic development as 快速 (kuàisù). It emphasizes the rate, velocity, and efficiency of a process, often in a technical, economic, or formal context.
Character Breakdown
快 (kuài): This character means “fast,” “quick,” or “swift.” It's composed of the heart radical (忄or 心) on the left and a phonetic component on the right. A simple way to remember it is that a light and happy heart (快乐 - kuàilè) feels quick and unburdened.
速 (sù): This character means “speed” or “velocity.” It's made of the “walking” radical (辶) and 束 (shù), which means “to bundle” or “tie up.” You can picture it as movement (辶) that is bundled and direct (束), resulting in high speed.
Together, 快速 (kuàisù) literally combines “fast” and “speed” to create a powerful compound word that means “high-speed” or “rapid.”
Cultural Context and Significance
The term 快速 is inextricably linked to the concept of “China Speed” (中国速度 - Zhōngguó sùdù). This refers to the unprecedented pace of economic and infrastructural development China has experienced over the past few decades. The construction of massive high-speed rail networks, the overnight emergence of new cities, and the lightning-fast growth of tech giants all embody the spirit of 快速.
In Western culture, the phrase “time is money” emphasizes individual efficiency for personal gain. While 快速 certainly relates to efficiency, “China Speed” often carries a grander, more collective connotation. It reflects a national-level ambition and a societal value placed on progress, modernization, and catching up with—and surpassing—other developed nations. Using 快速 often evokes this sense of large-scale, impressive momentum.
Practical Usage in Modern China
快速 is common in written language, news reports, technical specifications, and formal discussions. It's less common in casual, everyday commands.
Technology and Infrastructure: It's a go-to word for describing modern tech.
快速充电 (kuàisù chōngdiàn) - Fast charging
快速通道 (kuàisù tōngdào) - Express lane (at airports, toll booths)
快速铁路 (kuàisù tiělù) - High-speed railway
Business and Economics: Used to describe growth, development, and processes.
Instructions and Guides: Often seen in product manuals or tutorials.
Its connotation is generally neutral to positive, implying efficiency and modernity.
Example Sentences
Example 1:
中国的快速铁路网非常发达。
Pinyin: Zhōngguó de kuàisù tiělù wǎng fēicháng fādá.
English: China's high-speed railway network is extremely developed.
Analysis: Here, 快速 acts as an adjective modifying “railway” (铁路), specifying that it's the “high-speed” type. This is a classic example of its use in infrastructure.
Example 2:
我们的目标是为客户提供快速、准确的服务。
Pinyin: Wǒmen de mùbiāo shì wèi kèhù tígōng kuàisù, zhǔnquè de fúwù.
English: Our goal is to provide customers with fast and accurate service.
Analysis: This sentence from a business context uses 快速 to describe the service, emphasizing efficiency.
Example 3:
过去三十年，这个城市的经济得到了快速的发展。
Pinyin: Guòqù sānshí nián, zhège chéngshì de jīngjì dédàole kuàisù de fāzhǎn.
English: In the past thirty years, this city's economy has undergone rapid development.
Analysis: 快速 is used as an adverbial phrase (快速地, with 地 often omitted) to describe how the development (发展) happened.
Example 4:
我的新手机支持快速充电。
Pinyin: Wǒ de xīn shǒujī zhīchí kuàisù chōngdiàn.
English: My new phone supports fast charging.
Analysis: A very common real-world example in modern technology. 快速充电 is a set phrase.
Example 5:
按下这个按钮可以快速前进到下一首歌。
Pinyin: Àn xià zhège ànniǔ kěyǐ kuàisù qiánjìn dào xià yī shǒu gē.
English: Pressing this button can fast-forward to the next song.
Analysis: Here, 快速 functions as an adverb, describing the manner of “advancing” (前进).
Example 6:
为了节省时间，我们走了机场的快速通道。
Pinyin: Wèile jiéshěng shíjiān, wǒmen zǒule jīchǎng de kuàisù tōngdào.
English: To save time, we took the airport's express lane.
Analysis: 快速通道 is another fixed phrase for an express channel or lane.
Example 7:
这个软件可以帮助你快速找到需要的文件。
Pinyin: Zhège ruǎnjiàn kěyǐ bāngzhù nǐ kuàisù zhǎodào xūyào de wénjiàn.
English: This software can help you quickly find the files you need.
Analysis: A typical use in a tech or instructional context, where 快速 modifies the verb “to find” (找到).
Example 8:
有没有快速学习一门语言的方法？
Pinyin: Yǒu méiyǒu kuàisù xuéxí yī mén yǔyán de fāngfǎ?
English: Is there a method to learn a language quickly?
Analysis: A common question from learners! Here, 快速 describes the method (方法) of learning.
Example 9:
这个消息在社交媒体上快速传播。
Pinyin: Zhège xiāoxī zài shèjiāo méitǐ shàng kuàisù chuánbō.
English: This news is spreading rapidly on social media.
Analysis: Shows how 快速 can describe the speed of something intangible, like information.
Example 10:
面对危机，公司管理层做出了快速反应。
Pinyin: Miànduì wéijī, gōngsī guǎnlǐ céng zuòchūle kuàisù fǎnyìng.
English: Facing the crisis, the company's management made a rapid response.
Analysis: Demonstrates its use in a formal business or news context to mean “swift” or “rapid.”
Nuances and Common Mistakes
The most common point of confusion for learners is the difference between 快速 (kuàisù) and 快 (kuài).
`快 (kuài)` vs. `快速 (kuàisù)`:
快 (kuài) is the general, all-purpose word for “fast.” It's highly versatile and used constantly in spoken Chinese. It can describe a person's speed, the passage of time, or be used as a command. (e.g., 他跑得很快 - He runs fast. 快点! - Hurry up!)
快速 (kuàisù) is more formal and specific. It emphasizes “high-speed rate” and is often used as a formal adjective before a noun (快速列车 - high-speed train) or as a formal adverb (快速发展 - to develop rapidly).
Common Mistake 1: Using 快速 to tell someone to hurry up.
Incorrect: 快速一点！ (Kuàisù yīdiǎn!)
Correct: 快点！ (Kuài diǎn!) or 快一点！ (Kuài yīdiǎn!)
Reason: 快速 describes the quality of a process; it is not a command. 快点 is the standard colloquial phrase to urge someone on.
Common Mistake 2: Using 快速 to describe a person's innate speed.
Incorrect: 他是一个很快速的跑步者。 (Tā shì yīgè hěn kuàisù de pǎobù zhě.)
Correct: 他跑得很快。 (Tā pǎo de hěn kuài.)
Reason: While not grammatically disastrous, it's unnatural. We use `[verb] + 得 + 很 + 快` to describe how someone performs an action. 快速 is better suited for systems, processes, and objects.
快 (kuài) - The foundational character for “fast/quick.” 快速 is a more specific and formal compound word built from it.
速度 (sùdù) - The noun for “speed” or “velocity.” 快速 is the adjective describing something that possesses high 速度.
迅速 (xùnsù) - A close synonym for “rapid” or “swift.” It is often interchangeable with 快速 but can imply more suddenness or immediacy.
高速 (gāosù) - “High speed.” A very close synonym, but most frequently used for specific infrastructure, like
高速公路 (gāosù gōnglù) - highway/expressway.
快餐 (kuàicān) - “Fast food.” A direct and common application of 快 (kuài) to the concept of quick meals.
快递 (kuàidì) - “Express delivery.” An essential term in modern China's e-commerce world.
效率 (xiàolǜ) - “Efficiency.” This is often the underlying goal or result of a process that is 快速.
快点 (kuài diǎn) - The colloquial, imperative phrase “Hurry up!” This is what you should use instead of 快速 in daily conversation to rush someone.