快

kuài

rapid, quick, speedy, fast; soon; pleased, glad

Meaning

  • Velocity: Rapid, quick, fast.
  • Promptness: Without delay, prompt, decisive.
  • Emotional State: Pleased, glad, cheerful, satisfied.

Grammar and usage

  • Temporal Proximity: When functioning as "soon," the glyph may act as a marker of proximity (nearly/almost), often modifying verbs of becoming or arrival to indicate a state about to be reached.

Distinctions

  • Contrast with 速 (sù): While 速 often denotes objective or technical speed, 快 frequently suggests subjective or efficient quickness.
  • Contrast with 疾 (jí): 疾 typically implies sudden, violent, or uncontrolled speed.

Translator notes

  • In contexts of response or action, the glyph may denote an absence of hesitation rather than physical velocity.
  • If "rapid" creates a strained reading in passages concerning mood or internal states, consider senses related to being pleased, glad, or relieved.

Decontextualized translator aid. This page describes plausible lexical range; it does not choose what the glyph means in a particular passage.