快

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See also: 怏
快 U+5FEB, 快
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5FEB
← 忪
 		CJK Unified Ideographs 忬 →

Translingual

Stroke order
7 strokes

Han character

快 (Kangxi radical 61, 心+4, 7 strokes, cangjie input 心木大 (PDK), four-corner 95030, composition ⿰忄夬)

Derived characters

References

  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 377, character 29
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 10369
  • Dae Jaweon: page 705, character 16
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2278, character 11
  • Unihan data for U+5FEB

Chinese

trad. 快
simp. # 快

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (夬) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
袂 *mɡʷeds
夬 *kʷraːds
快 *kʰʷraːds
駃 *kʰʷraːds, *kʷeːd
筷 *kʰʷraːds
炔 *kʷeːds
觖 *kʰʷeds, *kʷeːd
缺 *kʰʷed, *kʰʷeːd
蒛 *kʰʷed
吷 *qʰʷed
妜 *qʷed, *qʷeːd
決 *kʷeːd, *qʰʷeːd
訣 *kʷeːd
抉 *kʷeːd, *qʷeːd
玦 *kʷeːd
芵 *kʷeːd
赽 *kʷeːd
鴂 *kʷeːd
鈌 *kʷeːd
决 *kʷeːd
疦 *kʷeːd, *qʰʷeːd
蚗 *kʷeːd
趹 *kʷeːd

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *kʰʷraːds) : semantic 忄 + phonetic 夬 (OC *kʷraːds).

Etymology

Unknown (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation

Note:
  • ká̤ - vernacular;
  • kuái - literary.
Note:
  • ke4 - vernacular;
  • kue4 - literary.
Note:
  • khoài - literary;
  • khùiⁿ/khòaⁿ - vernacular (limited, e.g. 快活);
  • khòe - vernacular (limited, e.g. 快便).
Note:
  • kuai3 - literary;
  • kue3 - vernacular.
Note:
  • 5khua - vernacular;
  • 5khuae/5khuai/5khuei - literary.
  • Dialectal data
Variety Location 快
Mandarin Beijing /kʰuai⁵¹/
Harbin /kʰuai⁵³/
Tianjin /kʰuai⁵³/
Jinan /kʰuɛ²¹/
Qingdao /kʰuɛ⁴²/
Zhengzhou /kʰuai³¹²/
Xi'an /kʰuai⁴⁴/
Xining /kʰuɛ²¹³/
Yinchuan /kʰuɛ¹³/
Lanzhou /kʰuɛ¹³/
Ürümqi /kʰuai²¹³/
Wuhan /kʰuai³⁵/
Chengdu /kʰuai¹³/
Guiyang /kʰuai²¹³/
Kunming /kʰuæ²¹²/
Nanjing /kʰuae⁴⁴/
Hefei /kʰue̞⁵³/
Jin Taiyuan /kʰuai⁴⁵/
Pingyao /kʰuæ³⁵/
Hohhot /kʰuɛ⁵⁵/
Wu Shanghai /kʰua³⁵/
Suzhou /kʰuɑ⁵¹³/
Hangzhou /kʰue̞⁴⁴⁵/
Wenzhou /kʰa⁴²/
Hui Shexian /kʰua³²⁴/
Tunxi /kʰua⁴²/
Xiang Changsha /kʰuai⁵⁵/
Xiangtan /kʰuai⁵⁵/
Gan Nanchang /kʰuai²¹³/
Hakka Meixian /kʰuai⁵³/
Taoyuan /kʰuɑi⁵⁵/
Cantonese Guangzhou /fai³³/
Nanning /fai³³/
/wai³³/
Hong Kong /fai³³/
Min Xiamen (Hokkien) /kʰuai²¹/
/kʰue²¹/
/kʰui²¹/
Fuzhou (Eastern Min) /kʰuɑi²¹²/
Jian'ou (Northern Min) /kʰuɛ³³/
Shantou (Teochew) /kʰuai²¹³/
Haikou (Hainanese) /xuai³⁵/
/xɔi³⁵/
/xue³⁵/
Rime
Character 快
Reading # 1/1
Initial (聲) 溪 (29)
Final (韻) 夬 (30)
Tone (調) Departing (H)
Openness (開合) Closed
Division (等) II
Fanqie 苦夬切
Baxter khwaejH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/kʰˠuaiH/
Pan
Wuyun 		/kʰʷᵚaiH/
Shao
Rongfen 		/kʰuaiH/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/kʰwaɨjsH/
Li
Rong 		/kʰuaiH/
Wang
Li 		/kʰwæiH/
Bernhard
Karlgren 		/kʰwaiH/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		kuài
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		faai3
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 快
Reading # 1/1
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin) 		kuài
Middle
Chinese 		‹ khwæjH ›
Old
Chinese 		/*ʷʰˁret-s/
English cheerful

Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. * as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 快
Reading # 1/1
No. 4407
Phonetic
component 		夬
Rime
group 		祭
Rime
subdivision 		1
Corresponding
MC rime 		快
Old
Chinese 		/*kʰʷraːds/

Definitions

快

  1. pleased; happy
    Synonym: 樂 / 乐 (lè)
    快感  ―  kuàigǎn  ―  pleasure
    大快人心  ―  dàkuàirénxīn  ―  to the great satisfaction of the people
  2. forthright; plainspoken
    心直口快  ―  xīnzhíkǒukuài  ―  frank and outspoken
  3. rapid; quick; speedy; fast
    Synonym: 速 (sù)
    師傅，能不能再開快一點？ [MSC, trad.]
    师傅，能不能再开快一点？ [MSC, simp.]
    Shīfu, néng bùnéng zài kāi kuài yī diǎn?
    Sir, can you please go faster?
    快啲啦！ [Cantonese]  ―  faai3 di1 laa1!   ―  Hurry up!
  4. (of knives, scissors, axes, etc.) sharp; sharp-edged
    Synonym: 鈍 / 钝 (dùn)
    把刀磨快  ―  bǎ dāo mó kuài  ―  to sharpen the knife
    快刀斬亂麻／快刀斩乱麻  ―  kuàidāozhǎnluànmá  ―  to cut the Gordian knot (literally, “to cut the messy ropes with a sharp knife”)
  5. keen; quick-witted
    反應快／反应快  ―  fǎnyìng kuài  ―  quick in response
    腦子快／脑子快  ―  nǎozǐ kuài  ―  quick-witted
  6. quickly; hurriedly
    快來幫忙！／快来帮忙！  ―  Kuài lái bāngmáng!  ―  Come and help quickly!
  7. to be about to; almost
    我快到了。  ―  Wǒ kuài dào le.  ―  I am about to arrive.
    快八點了。／快八点了。  ―  Kuài bādiǎn le.  ―  It's almost 8.
  8. (of time zones) to be ahead of
    Antonym: 慢 (màn)
    香港快倫敦八個鐘。 [Cantonese, trad.]
    香港快伦敦八个钟。 [Cantonese, simp.]
    hoeng1 gong2 faai3 leon4 deon1 baat3 go3 zung1.
    Hong Kong is eight hours ahead of London.
  9. (dated Shanghainese) Used to indicate the near future tense.
    落下來快哉。 [Shanghainese, trad.]
    落下来快哉。 [Shanghainese, simp.]
    From: 2010, Qian Nairong, 《從〈滬語便商〉所見的老上海話時態》 (Tenses and Aspects? Old Shanghainese as Found in the Book Huyu Bian Shang)
    It's about to fall down.

Synonyms

  • (quick):
Dialectal synonyms of 快 (“fast; quick; speedy”)
Variety Location Words
Classical Chinese 疾
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 快, 快速, 迅速
Northeastern Mandarin Beijing 快
Taiwan 快
Harbin 快騰
Malaysia 快
Singapore 快
Jilu Mandarin Jinan 快
Central Plains Mandarin Wanrong 快
Xi'an 快
Southwestern Mandarin Chengdu 快, 快當, 快性
Wuhan 快
Guiyang 快, 快當
Guilin 快
Jianghuai Mandarin Nanjing 快, 𢜶
Yangzhou 快, 𢜶
Hefei 快, 𢜶
Cantonese Guangzhou 快, 快脆
Hong Kong 快, 快脆
Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou) 快
Hong Kong (Ting Kok) 快
Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau) 快
Zhongshan (Shiqi) 快
Taishan 快, 快脆
Dongguan 快脆
Qingyuan 快
Yangjiang 快
Danzhou 快
Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) 快
Penang (Guangfu) 快
Singapore (Guangfu) 快
Gan Nanchang 快
Lichuan 快
Pingxiang 快
Hakka Meixian 遽, 快
Xingning 遽
Huidong (Daling) 遽, 快
Shaoguan (Qujiang) 䟐
Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang) 急
Pinghe (Jiufeng) 緊
Changting 䟐
Wuping 䟐
Wuping (Pingyu) 遽, 䟐
Ninghua 䟐
Yudu 快
Ruijin 遽
Shicheng 快, 䟐
Shangyou (Shexi) 快
Miaoli (N. Sixian) 遽
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) 遽
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) 遽
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) 遽, 拚
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) 遽
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) 緊
Hong Kong 快
Senai (Huiyang) 遽
Kuching (Hepo) 猛
Sungai Tapang, Batu Kawa (Hepo) 猛
Singkawang 猛
Huizhou Jixi 快
Jin Taiyuan 快
Northern Min Jian'ou 快
Songxi 快
Jianyang 快
Eastern Min Fuzhou 快, 猛
Gutian 快
Ningde 快
Zhouning 快
Fuding 快
Southern Min Xiamen 緊
Xiamen (Tong'an) 緊
Quanzhou 緊
Jinjiang 緊
Anxi 緊
Yongchun 緊
Zhangzhou 猛, 緊
Zhao'an 猛, 兇
Taipei 緊
Kaohsiung 緊
Tainan 緊
Penang (Hokkien) 緊, 猛, 快
Singapore (Hokkien) 緊
Manila (Hokkien) 緊
Longyan 快
Datian 緊
Chaozhou 猛
Shantou 猛
Shantou (Chenghai) 猛
Jieyang 猛
Haifeng 猛
Bangkok (Teochew) 猛
Johor Bahru (Teochew) 猛
Singapore (Teochew) 猛
Leizhou 猛
Wenchang 猛, 快
Haikou 猛
Qionghai 快
Singapore (Hainanese) 猛
Puxian Min Putian 緊
Xianyou 緊
Central Min Yong'an 烈
Sanming (Shaxian) 烈
Southern Pinghua Nanning (Tingzi) 快, 快當
Shehua Fu'an 快
Fuding 快
Luoyuan 快
Shunchang 快
Hua'an 快
Guixi (Zhangping) 快
Cangnan 快
Jingning (Hexi) 快
Lishui 快
Longyou 快
Wu Shanghai 快, 𢜶
Shanghai (Chongming) 快
Suzhou 快, 𢜶
Danyang 快, 𢜶
Hangzhou 快
Ningbo 快
Wenzhou 快, 緊
Jinhua 快
Xiang Changsha 快, 快迅
Shuangfeng 快, 快迅
Dialectal synonyms of 快 (“sharp; sharp-edged”)
Variety Location Words
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 鋒利, 銳利
Northeastern Mandarin Beijing 快
Taiwan 利
Singapore 利
Jilu Mandarin Jinan 快
Central Plains Mandarin Xi'an 快
Southwestern Mandarin Chengdu 快
Wuhan 快
Jianghuai Mandarin Yangzhou 快
Hefei 快
Cantonese Guangzhou 利
Hong Kong 利
Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou) 快, 利
Hong Kong (Ting Kok) 利, 快
Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau) 利, 快
Taishan 利
Yangjiang 利
Gan Nanchang 快
Hakka Meixian 利
Miaoli (N. Sixian) 利
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) 利
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) 利
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) 利
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) 利
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) 利
Hong Kong 快
Jin Taiyuan 快
Northern Min Jian'ou 利
Eastern Min Fuzhou 利
Southern Min Xiamen 利
Tainan 利
Penang (Hokkien) 利
Chaozhou 利
Wu Shanghai 快
Suzhou 快
Wenzhou 快
Xiang Changsha 快
Shuangfeng 快

Antonyms

Usage notes

  • (Old Shanghainese): Unlike other Chinese languages, Northern Wu can mark for tenses as well as aspects. 快 is to be used behind the main verb, unlike most other grammatical particles.

Compounds

Japanese

Kanji

快

(Fifth grade kyōiku kanji)

Readings

Etymology

Kanji in this term
快
かい
Grade: 5
kan'on

From Middle Chinese 快 (MC khwaejH).

Pronunciation

Affix

快(かい) • (kai) ←くわい (kwai)?

  1. pleasant, pleasing, comfortable, enjoyable
  2. fast, quick (in a pleasing way)
  3. sharp (of knives); clever (of wits)
  4. recovery (from illness, of health)

Noun

快(かい) • (kai) ←くわい (kwai)?

  1. (literary) pleasure; delight; enjoyment

References

  1. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Korean

Hanja

快 (eumhun 쾌할 쾌 (kwaehal kwae))

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Vietnamese

Han character

快: Hán Nôm readings: khoái, khuấy, khoáy, sướng

  1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.
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