Rapid in Different Languages
Discover 'Rapid' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'rapid' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, denoting something that happens quickly or instantly. Its importance is not confined to the realm of language alone, but it also extends to various fields such as science, technology, and medicine. For instance, in physics, a rapid movement refers to a high velocity, while in medicine, a rapid heartbeat could indicate a health issue.
Culturally, the concept of rapidity has been celebrated in literature, music, and art. From the rapid-fire dialogues in Shakespeare's plays to the fast-paced rhythm of hip-hop music, rapidity has left an indelible mark on our cultural landscape. Moreover, the word 'rapid' has been borrowed and adapted in many languages, reflecting its global significance.
Given the word's ubiquity and cultural importance, one might be interested in knowing its translation in different languages. Here are a few examples: in Spanish, 'rapid' translates to 'rápido'; in French, it is 'rapide'; in German, it is 'rasch'; and in Japanese, it is '速い' (hayai).
Rapid
Rapid in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vinnig | ||
| "Vinnig" also means "vicious" or "furious" in Dutch and German, indicating a connection between speed and aggression. | |||
| Amharic | ፈጣን | ||
| Hausa | m | ||
| The letter "m" can also indicate a question in Hausa, similar to the English "huh?" | |||
| Igbo | ngwa ngwa | ||
| In some dialects, the word 'ngwa ngwa' also means 'quickly, in a hurry' or 'in a short time'. | |||
| Malagasy | haingana | ||
| Haingana comes from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian word *hadik, meaning "to run, to speed up". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mofulumira | ||
| The word "mofulumira" can also refer to a fast-flowing river. | |||
| Shona | nekukurumidza | ||
| The word "nekukurumidza" in Shona also refers to the swift movement of a bird or the quick beating of a heart. | |||
| Somali | deg deg ah | ||
| In Somali, "deg deg ah" is a reduplication of the word "deg," which can also mean "quick" or "fast". | |||
| Sesotho | potlako | ||
| In the Sesotho language, the word "potlako" comes from the root "potla," which means "to chase" or "to pursue." | |||
| Swahili | haraka | ||
| The word "haraka" in Swahili also means "movement" and can refer to both physical and non-physical movement. | |||
| Xhosa | ngokukhawuleza | ||
| A person who makes something happen quickly is also known as ngokukhawuleza. | |||
| Yoruba | dekun | ||
| "Dekun" is a Yoruba term for "rapidly" that also means "to go out". | |||
| Zulu | ngokushesha | ||
| "Rapid" in Zulu, "ngokushesha," connotes a swift and energetic motion, derived from the root "-shushuza," which suggests a rushing or flowing movement. | |||
| Bambara | teliman | ||
| Ewe | kabakaba | ||
| Kinyarwanda | byihuse | ||
| Lingala | noki | ||
| Luganda | mangu | ||
| Sepedi | potlako | ||
| Twi (Akan) | ntɛm so | ||
Rapid in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | سريعون | ||
| سريعون" comes from the Arabic root "s-r-ʿ" meaning "to move quickly," which is also the root of the word "سريع" (fast). | |||
| Hebrew | מָהִיר | ||
| "מָהִיר" derives from Proto-Canaanite *MHR, "to go quickly, to hasten," whence also the Arabic "muhir," "fast-running (horse)". | |||
| Pashto | ګړندی | ||
| ګړندی is also used as a noun, meaning "swiftness". | |||
| Arabic | سريعون | ||
| سريعون" comes from the Arabic root "s-r-ʿ" meaning "to move quickly," which is also the root of the word "سريع" (fast). | |||
Rapid in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i shpejtë | ||
| The Albanian word "i shpejtë" also means "soon" in addition to "rapid". | |||
| Basque | azkarra | ||
| The Basque word "azkarra" originally meant "agile" or "quick", and later acquired the meaning of "rapid". | |||
| Catalan | ràpid | ||
| "Ràpid" is etymologically related to "rip" in English: an action with abrupt and swift momentum. | |||
| Croatian | brz | ||
| The word `brz` can also refer to a swift current or a fast horse. | |||
| Danish | hurtig | ||
| The word "hurtig" comes from the Old Norse word "hvatr" which meant "sharp" or "keen". | |||
| Dutch | snel | ||
| The word "snel" is cognate to the English word "snail," both deriving from the Proto-Germanic root *snelluz, meaning "quick" or "nimble." | |||
| English | rapid | ||
| "Rapid" comes from the Latin word "rapidus," meaning "swift" or "violent." | |||
| French | rapide | ||
| "Rapide" derives from Latin, where it was "rapidus", meaning "quick, swift, rapid." | |||
| Frisian | rap | ||
| In Frisian, "rap" has secondary meanings of a "sudden movement" or "a quick touch". | |||
| Galician | rápido | ||
| In Galician, "rápido" is a synonym of "axil" as well as a noun meaning "white poplar". | |||
| German | schnell | ||
| The word "schnell" is derived from Proto-Germanic šnellaz, which can also mean "clever". | |||
| Icelandic | hröð | ||
| The word 'hröð' also has alternate meanings, including 'strength' or 'power'. | |||
| Irish | tapa | ||
| The Irish word "tapa" also means "a covering or layer", as in the "tapa" or barkcloth of the Pacific islands. | |||
| Italian | rapido | ||
| The word "rapido" in Italian also means "theft" or "robbery". | |||
| Luxembourgish | séier | ||
| Maltese | mgħaġġel | ||
| The word 'mgħaġġel' comes from the Arabic word 'majaa', meaning 'he hastened'. | |||
| Norwegian | rask | ||
| The word "rask" also means "brisk" or "quick" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | rápido | ||
| The Portuguese word "rápido" originates from the Latin "rapidus," meaning "swift" or "hasty." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | luath | ||
| "Luath" also means "swift" in Irish Gaelic, "fleet" in Manx, and "agile" in Welsh—a pan-Celtic word for quickness. | |||
| Spanish | rápido | ||
| The word "rápido" can also mean "thief" or "pickpocket" in Spanish slang. | |||
| Swedish | snabb | ||
| "Snabb" also means "trunk" in Swedish, originating from the Middle Low German word "snabel", meaning "nose" or "beak", as tree trunks were historically used to build boat prows in the shape of animal heads. | |||
| Welsh | cyflym | ||
| "Cyflym" can also mean "quickly," "fleetly," or "speedily." | |||
Rapid in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | імклівы | ||
| The Belarusian word "імклівы" can also mean "quick", "swift", or "nimble." | |||
| Bosnian | brzo | ||
| "Brzo" is of Slavic origin and is etymologically related to the word "brz" which means "quick" or "fast". | |||
| Bulgarian | бързо | ||
| "Бързо" can also mean "impulsively" or "hastily". | |||
| Czech | rychlý | ||
| "Rychlý" can also mean "quick-witted" or "lively" in Czech | |||
| Estonian | kiire | ||
| The word "kiire" is also used in Estonian to describe a person who is in a hurry or stressed. | |||
| Finnish | nopea | ||
| The word "nopea" is cognate with "nappi" ("button") | |||
| Hungarian | gyors | ||
| The word "gyors" also means "fast" and is related to the German word "gern" (willingly). | |||
| Latvian | strauja | ||
| Although "strauja" means "rapid" in Latvian, it originated from the Proto-Indo-European root "sreu" that also meant "to flow". | |||
| Lithuanian | greitas | ||
| The Lithuanian word "greitas" ("rapid") is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gher-, meaning "to turn, to twist". | |||
| Macedonian | брз | ||
| "Брз" can also mean "agile," "lively," or "quick-tempered." | |||
| Polish | nagły | ||
| The Polish word "nagły" can also refer to a sudden, unexpected event or emotion. | |||
| Romanian | rapid | ||
| In Romanian, "rapid" can also mean "river rapids" or "white-water rapids for sports". | |||
| Russian | стремительный | ||
| The word "стремительный" also means "impetuous" or "precipitate". | |||
| Serbian | брзо | ||
| The Serbian word "брзо" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "borzy", which originally meant "quick". | |||
| Slovak | rýchly | ||
| The word "rýchly" also means "quick" or "fast" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | hitro | ||
| The word "hitro" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*xъtrъ", meaning "quick" or "fast". | |||
| Ukrainian | швидкий | ||
| "Швидкий" can also mean "quick-witted" in Ukrainian. | |||
Rapid in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দ্রুত | ||
| "দ্রুত" is a Bengali word with Sanskrit roots, meaning "swift" or "quick", and is related to the Hindi word "drut" and the English word "dread". | |||
| Gujarati | ઝડપી | ||
| The Gujarati word "ઝડપી" also means "smart" or "intelligent". | |||
| Hindi | तीव्र | ||
| "तीव्र" (rapid) is cognate with Latin "tardo" (slow). | |||
| Kannada | ಕ್ಷಿಪ್ರ | ||
| The word "ಕ್ಷಿಪ್ರ" in Kannada can also mean "quick" or "fast". | |||
| Malayalam | ദ്രുതഗതിയിലുള്ളത് | ||
| Marathi | जलद | ||
| In Marathi, the word "जलद" can also refer to clouds. | |||
| Nepali | छिटो | ||
| The word "छिटो" can also mean "quickly" or "hurriedly". | |||
| Punjabi | ਤੇਜ਼ | ||
| The word "ਤੇਜ਼" is also used to describe music with a higher tempo. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වේගවත් | ||
| "වේගවත්" also refers to the intensity of a sound. For example: "The speaker's words pierced my ears, their velocity was too intense". | |||
| Tamil | விரைவான | ||
| The word "விரைவான" can also refer to speed, swiftness, or velocity in Tamil. | |||
| Telugu | వేగంగా | ||
| Urdu | تیز | ||
| The word "تیز" also means "sharp" or "pointed" in Urdu, and is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ak- "sharp". | |||
Rapid in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 快速 | ||
| "快速" can also mean "fast-food restaurant" or "express delivery." | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 快速 | ||
| 快速, in Traditional Chinese, can also mean "swiftly," "quick," or "at high speed." | |||
| Japanese | 急速 | ||
| The word "急速" can also mean "hurry" or "haste". | |||
| Korean | 빠른 | ||
| The word "빠른" (rapid) in Korean can also mean "fast" or "quick". | |||
| Mongolian | хурдан | ||
| It is cognate with the Evenki verb "hunkume" (to flow) | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လျင်မြန်စွာ | ||
Rapid in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | cepat | ||
| The word "cepat" is derived from the Malay word "cepat", which itself may have originated from the Portuguese word "depressa" (quickly). | |||
| Javanese | kanthi cepet | ||
| "Kanthi cepet" also means "with speed" in Javanese. | |||
| Khmer | យ៉ាងឆាប់រហ័ស | ||
| Lao | ຢ່າງໄວວາ | ||
| The term "ຢ່າງໄວວາ" is not exclusive to Laos or Laotian but is instead an expression common to the broader Lao/Tai cultural sphere of Southeast Asia. | |||
| Malay | cepat | ||
| The word "cepat" is derived from the Proto-Malayic word "capat", which also means "to catch". | |||
| Thai | อย่างรวดเร็ว | ||
| "อย่างรวดเร็ว" also means "abruptly" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | nhanh | ||
| "Nhanh" is also used as a noun to refer to a person who is fast or has quick reflexes. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mabilis | ||
Rapid in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | sürətli | ||
| "Sürətli" means "rapid" in Azerbaijani and also "picture" in Ottoman Turkish. | |||
| Kazakh | жылдам | ||
| The Kazakh word "жылдам" also means "fast" or "quick". | |||
| Kyrgyz | тез | ||
| "Тез" may also refer to a type of fabric, a name of a Kyrgyz tribe, and means "quick" in Turkic. | |||
| Tajik | босуръат | ||
| The word "босуръат" is derived from the Persian word "bosorat" meaning "speed" or "rapidity". | |||
| Turkmen | çalt | ||
| Uzbek | tezkor | ||
| In Uzbek, "tezkor" can also mean "sharp" or "quick-witted." | |||
| Uyghur | تېز | ||
Rapid in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | wikiwiki | ||
| The Hawaiian word 'wikiwiki' can also mean 'the surface of the water', as in a stream or river. | |||
| Maori | tere | ||
| The word "tere" can also refer to a journey or voyage, or to the act of flying or soaring through the air. | |||
| Samoan | vave | ||
| The word "vave" can also refer to a current or stream of water. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mabilis | ||
| The Spanish word "mabilis" is derived from the Latin word "mobilis," which means "movable" or "in motion." | |||
Rapid in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jank'aki | ||
| Guarani | pya'e | ||
Rapid in International Languages
| Esperanto | rapida | ||
| The word "rapida" is possibly derived from the Greek word "ῥέω (rheo)" meaning "to flow" or the Latin word "rapio" meaning "to seize", and can also refer to a fast-flowing body of water. | |||
| Latin | celeri | ||
| Latin "celeri" is also applied to the body or limbs, denoting their "lightness," the "quickness" of their movement. | |||
Rapid in Others Languages
| Greek | ταχύς | ||
| Ταχύς can also mean 'hasty,' 'quick-tempered,' or 'sharp.' | |||
| Hmong | nrawm | ||
| The word 'nrawm' also means 'fast' in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | jêqetandin | ||
| The word "jêqetandin" in Kurdish can also mean "to hasten" or "to make haste". | |||
| Turkish | hızlı | ||
| The word "hızlı" derives from the Arabic word "sa'id" meaning "happy" or "lucky". | |||
| Xhosa | ngokukhawuleza | ||
| A person who makes something happen quickly is also known as ngokukhawuleza. | |||
| Yiddish | גיך | ||
| The Yiddish word "גיך" also means "fast" or "nimble." | |||
| Zulu | ngokushesha | ||
| "Rapid" in Zulu, "ngokushesha," connotes a swift and energetic motion, derived from the root "-shushuza," which suggests a rushing or flowing movement. | |||
| Assamese | দ্ৰুত | ||
| Aymara | jank'aki | ||
| Bhojpuri | तेज | ||
| Dhivehi | އަވަސް | ||
| Dogri | रैपिड | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mabilis | ||
| Guarani | pya'e | ||
| Ilocano | napardas | ||
| Krio | kwik kwik | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خێرا | ||
| Maithili | खूब तेजी सँ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯈꯣꯡꯖꯦꯜ ꯌꯥꯡꯕꯒꯤ ꯃꯇꯧ | ||
| Mizo | rang | ||
| Oromo | ariifataa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଦ୍ରୁତ | ||
| Quechua | utqay | ||
| Sanskrit | तीव्र | ||
| Tatar | тиз | ||
| Tigrinya | ቕልጡፍ | ||
| Tsonga | xihatla | ||