速 sù — fast; rapid; quick
火车的速度越来越快。Huǒ chē de sù dù yuè lái yuè kuài.The train speed is getting faster and faster.
Common words: 速度 (sù dù)、快速 (kuài sù)、高速 (gāo sù)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "rapid"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "rapid", including 速 (sù), 迅 (xùn), 讯 (xùn), 捷 (jié). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "rapid" covers 4 different Chinese characters — 速 (sù), 迅 (xùn), 讯 (xùn), 捷 (jié) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 4 characters do not share a sound — their readings span sù, xùn, jié — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 速 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 速 sùfast; rapid; quickUseful words: 速度, 快速
- 迅 xùnrapidUseful words: 迅速, 迅即
- 讯 xùnto question; to ask; to interrogate; rapid; speedy; fastUseful words: 通讯, 资讯
- 捷 jiévictory; triumph; quick; prompt; rapidUseful words: 快捷, 敏捷
Common words for these 4 "rapid" characters
Anchor each of these 4 characters in a word you can picture — start with 速 (sù) — so "rapid" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
速度sù dùspeed; rate; velocity; (music) tempo快速kuài sùfast; high-speed; rapid高速gāo sùhigh speed; expressway迅速xùn sùrapid; speedy; fast迅即xùn jíimmediately; promptly; quickly迅雷xùn léithunderbolt通讯tōng xùncommunications; news story; dispatch资讯zī xùninformation电讯diàn xùntelecommunications; telecom快捷kuài jiéquick; fast; nimble; agile
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 4 ways to say "rapid".
迅 xùn — rapid
听到消息，他迅速跑了过来。Tīng dào xiāo xi, tā xùn sù pǎo le guò lái.Hearing the news, he ran over quickly.
Common words: 迅速 (xùn sù)、迅即 (xùn jí)、迅雷 (xùn léi)
讯 xùn — to question; to ask; to interrogate; rapid; speedy; fast
他给我发来了一条短讯。Tā gěi wǒ fā lái le yì tiáo duǎn xùn.He sent me a short message.
Common words: 通讯 (tōng xùn)、资讯 (zī xùn)、电讯 (diàn xùn)
捷 jié — victory; triumph; quick; prompt; rapid
走这条小路是去学校的捷径。Zǒu zhè tiáo xiǎo lù shì qù xué xiào de jié jìng.Taking this small path is a shortcut to school.
Common words: 快捷 (kuài jié)、敏捷 (mǐn jié)、便捷 (biàn jié)
All 4 characters
Open 速、迅、讯 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.