Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'quickly' holds a special place in our vocabulary, allowing us to express the need for speed and efficiency in our daily lives. Its significance is universal, making it a crucial component of communication across cultures. But how do we say 'quickly' in other languages? Understanding the translation of 'quickly' in different languages can help break down language barriers and enrich our cultural experiences.
Did you know that 'celeriter', the Latin translation of 'quickly', also means 'swiftly' or 'rapidly'? Or that in Japanese, 'hayai' is used to convey the same meaning? In Esperanto, an artificial language created to facilitate international communication, 'rapide' is the equivalent of 'quickly'. These translations not only offer insight into the linguistic diversity of our world but also highlight the commonalities that bind us together.
Join us as we explore the translations of 'quickly' in different languages, from Spanish to Mandarin and beyond. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a world traveler, or simply curious, this list is sure to inspire and educate.
Afrikaans | vinnig | ||
The word vinnig is derived from the Dutch word vinnig, which means "fierce" or "quick-tempered". | |||
Amharic | በፍጥነት | ||
"በፍጥነት" can mean "swiftly" or "promptly" in Amharic. | |||
Hausa | da sauri | ||
While most Hausa speakers believe da sauri is a single term, the word da means "come" and sauri means "run." | |||
Igbo | ngwa ngwa | ||
"Ngwa ngwa" in Igbo also refers to the spirit of quickness or agility. | |||
Malagasy | haingana | ||
"Haingana" in Malagasy also means "sharp" or "agile". | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | mofulumira | ||
The word "mofulumira" is also used to describe something that is "done in a hurry or without care". | |||
Shona | nekukurumidza | ||
The word 'nekukurumidza' also translates to 'to hasten', 'to accelerate', or 'to speed up' in Shona. | |||
Somali | si deg deg ah | ||
The word "si deg deg ah" literally translates to "do quickly" with "deg deg" being the reduplicated form of the verb "do" meaning to get or do something. | |||
Sesotho | ka potlako | ||
The word 'ka potlako' originally meant 'the quality or condition of being quick or fast' and could be used to describe inanimate objects and animals, not just humans. | |||
Swahili | haraka | ||
The word "haraka" also means "movement" or "progress" in Swahili, emphasizing the dynamic nature of quick actions. | |||
Xhosa | ngokukhawuleza | ||
The term ngokukhawuleza is also used to refer to a swift bird of prey. | |||
Yoruba | ni kiakia | ||
The word "ni kiakia" can also mean "with speed" or "in a hurry." | |||
Zulu | ngokushesha | ||
The word "ngokushesha" has been said to derive from the word "ukugijima," which means "to run." | |||
Bambara | joona | ||
Ewe | kaba | ||
Kinyarwanda | vuba | ||
Lingala | nokinoki | ||
Luganda | mangu | ||
Sepedi | ka potlako | ||
Twi (Akan) | ntɛm so | ||
Arabic | بسرعة | ||
The Arabic word "بسرعة" can also refer to the swiftness or the hastiness of an action. | |||
Hebrew | בִּמְהִירוּת | ||
בִּמְהִירוּת is derived from the root מ־הֵר meaning hasten, be swift, be quick. | |||
Pashto | ژر | ||
The word "ژر" can also mean "fast" or "rapid" in Pashto, and is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʰer-. | |||
Arabic | بسرعة | ||
The Arabic word "بسرعة" can also refer to the swiftness or the hastiness of an action. |
Albanian | shpejt | ||
"Shpejt" also means "sprightly" in Albanian | |||
Basque | azkar | ||
"Azkar" also means "vigilant" in Old Basque. | |||
Catalan | ràpidament | ||
The word "ràpidament" in Catalan comes from the Latin word "rapidus", meaning "swift" or "quick". | |||
Croatian | brzo | ||
The word "brzo" in Croatian can also refer to a slope or a ford, and is of Proto-Slavic origin, deriving from the word "byrzo" meaning "rapidly" or "steeply." | |||
Danish | hurtigt | ||
Hurtigt also means 'sharp' in Danish, akin to the English usage of 'quick-witted'. | |||
Dutch | snel | ||
The word "snel" in Dutch, cognate with "schnell" in German, originally meant "smooth" or "even". | |||
English | quickly | ||
As an idiom, "quick" can also mean to be alive or in working order. | |||
French | rapidement | ||
The word "rapidement" in French also refers to the speed of a river's current. | |||
Frisian | gau | ||
The Frisian word "gau" also means "loud" or "shrill". | |||
Galician | axiña | ||
"Axiña" in Galician shares the etymology of "acina" in Portuguese, meaning "olive", possibly due to ancient agricultural practices involving olives. | |||
German | schnell | ||
Schnell also means "pregnant" in the context of animals, especially horses, in German. | |||
Icelandic | fljótt | ||
In Icelandic, "fljótt" can also refer to the speed of a horse or the intensity of a smell. | |||
Irish | go tapa | ||
The Irish "go tapa" likely meant "with speed" and comes from "tapaim" (I find). | |||
Italian | velocemente | ||
"Velocemente" derives from the Latin "velox", meaning both "fast" and "changeable". | |||
Luxembourgish | séier | ||
The Luxembourgish word "séier" also means "always" or "surely" in German, from which it is derived. | |||
Maltese | malajr | ||
Malajr is related to the Arabic word 'malajun', meaning 'in haste' or 'at speed'. | |||
Norwegian | raskt | ||
The word "raskt" may also refer to a state of intoxication | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | rapidamente | ||
The word "rapidamente" originated in the Latin "rapide" meaning "quickly" or "violently". | |||
Scots Gaelic | gu sgiobalta | ||
'Gu sgiobalta' is also used in some dialects to mean 'immediately'. | |||
Spanish | con rapidez | ||
The adverbial phrase "con rapidez" is composed of three words: "con" (with), "rapidez" (speed), and "mente" (mind). The word "mente" has been omitted in the phrase, but it is implied. | |||
Swedish | snabbt | ||
The word 'snabbt' is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root '*s(w)ebh-', meaning to run swiftly. | |||
Welsh | yn gyflym | ||
The word "yn gyflym" is formed from the root "cyflym" and the preposition "yn", meaning "in a" or "in the manner of". |
Belarusian | хутка | ||
In some regions of Belarus the word | |||
Bosnian | brzo | ||
Bosnian 'brzo' comes from a Proto-Slavic root, meaning 'to hurry' and 'to be quick'. | |||
Bulgarian | бързо | ||
Бързо can also mean 'sharp' or 'keen', as in 'бързо око' ('keen eye'). | |||
Czech | rychle | ||
The word "rychle" can also be used to mean "fast" or "rapid". | |||
Estonian | kiiresti | ||
The word "kiiresti" in Estonian is derived from the word "kiire" meaning "fast" or "urgent" and can also be used to express the idea of haste or urgency. | |||
Finnish | nopeasti | ||
The word "nopeasti" is derived from the verb "nopeata", which means "to make quick or move quickly". | |||
Hungarian | gyorsan | ||
The Hungarian word “gyorsan” comes from the verb “gyorsul” which means to accelerate; in Turkish, the similar-sounding word “görüşme” means “meeting”. | |||
Latvian | ātri | ||
The word "ātri" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*h₂reǵ-," meaning "to run" or "to move quickly." | |||
Lithuanian | greitai | ||
In addition to "quickly," "greitai" means "well" or "well off". | |||
Macedonian | брзо | ||
The Macedonian word "брзо" is cognate with "быстрый" in Russian, "brz" in Polish, "brez" in Slovenian, "brezo" in Albanian, "бърз" in Bulgarian, "brz" in Croatian, "брз" in Serbian, "brzy" in Slovak and "rychlý" in Czech. | |||
Polish | szybko | ||
"Szybko" in Polish also means "fast", "swift", "at a high speed" or "nimbly". | |||
Romanian | repede | ||
'Repede' is cognate with 'rapid' in English, and both words derive from the Latin word 'rapere', meaning 'to seize' or 'to carry away'. | |||
Russian | быстро | ||
"Быстро" also means "agility" when speaking of animals. | |||
Serbian | брзо | ||
Though the word "брзо" mostly means "quickly," it can also mean "soon" (in the sense of temporal proximity). | |||
Slovak | rýchlo | ||
The word "rýchlo" also means "speed" in Slovak. | |||
Slovenian | hitro | ||
The word 'hitro' is also used to describe someone who is quick-witted or clever. | |||
Ukrainian | швидко | ||
Швидко can also mean "nimbly" or "in a hurry". |
Bengali | দ্রুত | ||
The word "দ্রুত" is derived from the Sanskrit word "द्रुत" meaning "swift" or "rapid". | |||
Gujarati | તરત | ||
"તરત" is derived from the Sanskrit word "तर्ज" meaning "to float" or "to be carried away". It also means "in a short time" or "without delay". | |||
Hindi | जल्दी से | ||
The Hindi word "जल्दी से" also means "in a hurry" or "without delay". | |||
Kannada | ತ್ವರಿತವಾಗಿ | ||
The word 'ತ್ವರಿತವಾಗಿ' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'त्वरित', which also means 'quickly' or 'swiftly'. | |||
Malayalam | വേഗത്തിൽ | ||
Marathi | पटकन | ||
"पटकन" can also mean "in a trice" and is derived from "पटकना," meaning "to throw" or "to beat." | |||
Nepali | छिटो | ||
The word "छिटो" is derived from the Sanskrit word "क्षिप्र", meaning "swift" or "rapid". | |||
Punjabi | ਤੇਜ਼ੀ ਨਾਲ | ||
The word "ਤੇਜ਼ੀ ਨਾਲ" (quickly) is derived from the Sanskrit word "तृष्णा" (thirst), signifying a strong desire or urgency to do something. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඉක්මනින් | ||
Tamil | விரைவாக | ||
The word 'விரைவாக' can also mean 'swiftly' or 'speedily' in English. | |||
Telugu | త్వరగా | ||
"త్వరగా" is also used to mean "hastily" or "in a hurry". | |||
Urdu | جلدی سے | ||
The word "جلدی سے" is derived from the Arabic word "جلد" meaning "skin" or "surface," suggesting a sense of urgency or haste. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 很快 | ||
The second character '快' can also mean 'happy' and 'joy'. Originally '很快' was used to describe that something happened so fast that people didn't have time to be happy about it, and thus it acquired the meaning of 'quickly'. | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 很快 | ||
很快 is sometimes used to mean "very" or "very likely" in addition to its primary meaning of "quickly". | |||
Japanese | 早く | ||
The word "早く" has two primary meanings: "soon" and "quickly." | |||
Korean | 빨리 | ||
"빨리" has the alternate meaning of "bright, fresh." | |||
Mongolian | түргэн | ||
"Түргэн" can also mean "early" in Mongolian. | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | လျင်မြန်စွာ | ||
Indonesian | segera | ||
The word "segera" is thought to have originated from the Sanskrit word "sigira" meaning "quick" or "promptly." | |||
Javanese | cepet | ||
The word 'cepet' can also refer to a type of small bird in Javanese, known as the 'cepet bird' ('Orthotomus ruficeps'). | |||
Khmer | យ៉ាងឆាប់រហ័ស | ||
Lao | ຢ່າງໄວວາ | ||
Malay | dengan pantas | ||
Thai | อย่างรวดเร็ว | ||
อย่างรวดเร็ว can also mean 'as' in the sense of 'as a verb,' e.g. "เดินอย่างนินจา" (walk like a ninja). | |||
Vietnamese | mau | ||
The word "mau" in Vietnamese can also mean "color" or "pattern." | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | mabilis | ||
Azerbaijani | tez | ||
The word "tez" also refers to a species of antelope native to Central Asia | |||
Kazakh | тез | ||
The word "тез" also means "narrow" or "short" in Kazakh. | |||
Kyrgyz | тез | ||
The word "тез" can also mean "soon" or "in a hurry". | |||
Tajik | зуд | ||
The word "зуд" is derived from Persian and can also mean "scabies". | |||
Turkmen | çalt | ||
Uzbek | tez | ||
The word "tez" also means "fresh" or "sharp" in Uzbek. | |||
Uyghur | تېز | ||
Hawaiian | wikiwiki | ||
In Hawaiian, "wikiwiki" also means "the water rises," likely referring to the quick rise of water in a wave. | |||
Maori | tere | ||
Tere is also one of many Maori words for | |||
Samoan | vave | ||
The word "vave" can also be used to describe a state of nervousness or excitement. | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | mabilis | ||
"Mabilis" can also mean "speedy," "rapid," and "swift." |
Aymara | jank'aki | ||
Guarani | pya'e | ||
Esperanto | rapide | ||
"Rapide" is derived from Latin "rapidus," meaning both "quick" and "seizing; catching; grasping." | |||
Latin | cito | ||
"Cito" is the Latin abbreviation for "cito legere," which means "to read quickly". |
Greek | γρήγορα | ||
"Γρήγορα" is derived from the Greek word "γρηγορώ", which means "to be awake" or "to be alert". | |||
Hmong | nrawm | ||
While 'nrawm' in the Hmong Daw dialect means 'quickly' or 'fast,' in the Hmong Njua dialect it can also mean 'strong' or 'hard.' | |||
Kurdish | zû | ||
"Zû" can also refer to "the sound of a fast movement". | |||
Turkish | hızlı bir şekilde | ||
"Hızlı bir şekilde" is a Turkish idiom meaning "quickly" and can also mean "in a hurry". | |||
Xhosa | ngokukhawuleza | ||
The term ngokukhawuleza is also used to refer to a swift bird of prey. | |||
Yiddish | געשווינד | ||
The Yiddish word געשווינד traces its roots back to the medieval German word "geswint". | |||
Zulu | ngokushesha | ||
The word "ngokushesha" has been said to derive from the word "ukugijima," which means "to run." | |||
Assamese | দ্ৰুততাৰে | ||
Aymara | jank'aki | ||
Bhojpuri | झट से | ||
Dhivehi | އަވަހަށް | ||
Dogri | फौरन | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | mabilis | ||
Guarani | pya'e | ||
Ilocano | napartak | ||
Krio | fas fas | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | بەخێرایی | ||
Maithili | तेजी सँ | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯌꯥꯝꯅ ꯊꯨꯅ | ||
Mizo | rang takin | ||
Oromo | atattamaan | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ଶୀଘ୍ର | ||
Quechua | utqaylla | ||
Sanskrit | शीघ्रेण | ||
Tatar | тиз | ||
Tigrinya | ብህጹጽ | ||
Tsonga | xihatla | ||