Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
快 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
快kuàirapidHSK 2, a, 7 strokes, radical 忄, rank #77, Easy
快kuàiquickHSK 2, a, 7 strokes, radical 忄, rank #77, Easy
快kuàispeedHSK 2, a, 7 strokes, radical 忄, rank #77, Easy
快kuàirateHSK 2, a, 7 strokes, radical 忄, rank #77, Easy
快kuàisoonHSK 2, a, 7 strokes, radical 忄, rank #77, Easy
快kuàialmostHSK 2, a, 7 strokes, radical 忄, rank #77, Easy
快kuàito make hasteHSK 2, a, 7 strokes, radical 忄, rank #77, Easy
快kuàicleverHSK 2, a, 7 strokes, radical 忄, rank #77, Easy
快kuàisharp (of knives or wits)HSK 2, a, 7 strokes, radical 忄, rank #77, Easy
快kuàiforthrightHSK 2, a, 7 strokes, radical 忄, rank #77, Easy
快kuàiplain-spokenHSK 2, a, 7 strokes, radical 忄, rank #77, Easy
快kuàigratifiedHSK 2, a, 7 strokes, radical 忄, rank #77, Easy
快kuàipleasedHSK 2, a, 7 strokes, radical 忄, rank #77, Easy
快kuàipleasantHSK 2, a, 7 strokes, radical 忄, rank #77, Easy
快kuàispeedy, rapid, quick; soonHSK 2, a, 7 strokes, radical 忄, rank #77, Easy
快kuàiplainspokenHSK 2, unknown, 7 strokes, radical 忄, rank #77, Easy
kuài(kuai4) T4
  1. 1rapid
  2. 2quick
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

快kuài(kuai4)

The character 快 (kuài) means 'quick' or 'fast.' It is often used to describe speed, whether in terms of physical movement or the speed of time, such as '快来' (come quickly) or '快要' (almost). Additionally, it can imply a sense of efficiency, cleverness, or straightforwardness in communication.

Strokes7Radical忄Frequency#77DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, speed is often associated with efficiency and success, especially in business contexts. The importance of being '快' reflects a broader societal value placed on promptness and the ability to seize opportunities quickly.

Memory Tip

Imagine a rabbit (the symbol of speed) hopping quickly across a field. The character 快 resembles a person running (the left part) with urgency, while the right part suggests a sense of sharpness or clarity in thought, embodying both speed and cleverness.

Meanings of 快

kuài(kuai4)
1rapid
2quick
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 快

快Simplified
7Strokes
忄Radical
副形词xíngróngcíadj-adverb (adj.-adv.)Part of Speech
#77Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L2HSK 3.0L2ElementaryTOCFLL1HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 快

JasonAmy

Podcast: 快

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 快

Quick Contrast

快 (kuài) vs 迅速 (xùn sù) — use 快 for a more casual or everyday context, while 迅速 conveys a more formal or urgent sense of speed.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 快 with 慢 (màn), which means 'slow.' The tone is crucial; ensure you pronounce it as kuài (4th tone) to convey 'quick' rather than using a different tone that may change its meaning. Common collocations include '快点' (kuài diǎn - hurry up) and '快餐' (kuài cān - fast food).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 2 word, 快 connects well with other simple action verbs and adjectives. Focus on using it in sentences that describe actions or feelings, and practice with common phrases to reinforce its meaning in context.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 快 with the similar-sounding word '块' (kuài), which means 'piece' or 'block.' For example, saying '我想要一块蛋糕' (Wǒ xiǎng yào yī kuài dàngāo - I want a quick cake) instead of '我想要快点做' (Wǒ xiǎng yào kuài diǎn zuò - I want to do it quickly) can lead to confusion.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 快

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 快 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 快

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 夬 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

A decisive 夬 will 忄; 夬 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 快

Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 夬 represents the sound.

  1. 1The giveawayA decisive 夬 will 忄; 夬 also provides the pronunciation
  2. 2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 快? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 快?

Decomposition of 快

IDS Structure⿰忄夬
快Full Character
=
忄xin1
left
夬guai4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 快?

How to say rapid in Chinese

“rapid” in Chinese is快kuài

The character 快 (kuài) means 'quick' or 'fast.' It is often used to describe speed, whether in terms of physical movement or the speed of time, such as '快来' (come quickly) or '快要' (almost). Additionally, it can imply a sense of efficiency, cleverness, or straightforwardness in communication.

When to use 快

Be careful not to confuse 快 with 慢 (màn), which means 'slow.' The tone is crucial; ensure you pronounce it as kuài (4th tone) to convey 'quick' rather than using a different tone that may change its meaning. Common collocations include '快点' (kuài diǎn - hurry up) and '快餐' (kuài cān - fast food).

快 or something close to it

快 (kuài) vs 迅速 (xùn sù) — use 快 for a more casual or everyday context, while 迅速 conveys a more formal or urgent sense of speed.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 快 with the similar-sounding word '块' (kuài), which means 'piece' or 'block.' For example, saying '我想要一块蛋糕' (Wǒ xiǎng yào yī kuài dàngāo - I want a quick cake) instead of '我想要快点做' (Wǒ xiǎng yào kuài diǎn zuò - I want to do it quickly) can lead to confusion.

Write 快

快

Practice writing 快 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 快

快 functions as an adverb — it modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. In Chinese, adverbs sit BEFORE the verb they modify (我也去, 他常常迟到), never after it. It carries 16 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 1

Complete the Sentence

____走！

Hurry up and go!

Example Sentences for 快 (16)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
露西的冷淡与世故使得巴里十分不快。

lòu xī de lěng dàn yǔ shì gù shǐ dé bā lǐ shí fēn bù kuài。

Barry had his nose put out of joint by Lucy's aloof sophistication.
2
这种稍加变化的可口煎蛋卷做起来又快又容易。

zhè zhǒng shāo jiā biàn huà de kě kǒu jiān dàn juàn zuò qǐ lái yòu kuài yòu róng yì。

This delicious variation on an omelette is quick and easy to prepare.
3
它的利润增长速度比一般公司快4倍。

tā de lì rùn zēng cháng sù dù bǐ yī bān gōng sī kuài4 4。

Its profits are rising four times faster than the average company.
4
别担心，我们会很快把你从这儿弄出去的。

bié dān xīn， ， wǒ mén huì hěn kuài bǎ nǐ cóng zhè ér nòng chū qù。

Don't worry. We'll have you out of here double-quick.
5
快点儿，奥斯蒙德，你闲站着干什么。

kuài diǎn ér， ， ào sī mēng， dé ， nǐ xián zhàn zháo gān。

Come along, Osmond. No sense in your standing around.
6
比斯利告诉我他看到你了，所以我就赶快直接回家了。

bǐ sī lì gào sù wǒ tā kàn dào nǐ le， ， suǒ yǐ wǒ jiù gǎn kuài zhí jiē huí jiā。

Beasley told me he'd seen you, so I nipped straight home.
7
快点走的好处在于，你可以早点到达那里。

kuài diǎn zǒu de hǎo chǔ zài yú， ， nǐ kě yǐ zǎo diǎn dào dá nà。

The advantage in going faster is that you get there quicker.
8
你注意到自己的呼吸加快了一些。

nǐ zhù yì dào zì jǐ de hū xī jiā kuài le yī xiē。

You notice that your breathing has speeded up a bit.
9
迎接他的是大家齐唱《祝你生日快乐》，令他非常感动。

yíng jiē tā de shì dà jiā qí chàng《 《 zhù nǐ shēng rì kuài》， lè 》， líng tā fēi cháng。

He was greeted with a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday.
10
生孩子是使自己不再年轻时尚的最快方法。

shēng hái zǐ shì shǐ zì jǐ bù zài nián qīng shí shàng de zuì kuài fāng fǎ。

Having children was the quickest way to lose your street cred.
11
快点，我们要迟到了！

Kuài diǎn, wǒmen yào chídào le!

Hurry up, we're going to be late!
12
他跑得很快，比赛赢了。

Tā pǎo de hěn kuài, bǐsài yíng le.

He ran very fast and won the race.
13
火车快要到了，请准备上车。

Huǒchē kuài yào dào le, qǐng zhǔnbèi shàng chē.

The train is arriving soon, please get ready to board.
14
她的打字速度很快，工作完成得很快。

Tā de dǎzì sùdù hěn kuài, gōngzuò wánchéng de hěn kuài.

She types very quickly, finishing her work rapidly.
15
他的反应很快，总能及时解决问题。

Tā de fǎnyìng hěn kuài, zǒng néng jíshí jiějué wèntí.

His response is rapid, and he can always solve problems promptly.
16
快跑，不然我们赶不上公交车。

Kuài pǎo, bùrán wǒmen gǎnbushàng gōngjiāochē.

Run rapidly, or we won't catch the bus.

Word Family of 快

Compounds1
筷kuai4chopstick
Words Containing This Character20
快kuàirapid
快乐kuàilèhappy快樂
快速kuàisùfast
加快jiākuàito accelerate
尽快jǐnkuàias quickly as possible儘快
愉快yúkuàicheerful
赶快gǎnkuàiat once趕快
生日快乐Happy birthday生日快樂
新年快乐Happy New Year!新年快樂
快点Hurry up!快點
快要kuàiyàoalmost
快递kuàidìexpress delivery快遞
快捷kuàijiéquick
痛快tòngkuàidelighted
快报bulletin board快報
快感pleasure
不快unhappy
飞快very fast飛快
快餐kuàicānfast food
欢快huānkuàilively歡快
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 筷 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 快

You can say '我快要去上班了' (Wǒ kuài yào qù shàngbān le) meaning 'I am about to go to work.'

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 快?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.