加快

• Pinyin: jiā kuài
• Hanzi breakdown: 加 = 力 (strength) + 口 (mouth), meaning to increase; 快 = 忄(heart) + 夬 (decisive), meaning quick or happy

Meaning

To speed up; to accelerate; to quicken. Refers to increasing the pace or rate of something.

Used for both physical speed (加快脚步 — quicken one's pace) and abstract progress (加快发展 — accelerate development). Common in news, planning, and everyday speech. Often paired with nouns like 速度 (speed), 步伐 (pace), and 进度 (progress).

Examples

1. 他加快脚步，赶上了前面的同学。 He quickened his pace and caught up with the classmates ahead.
2. 公司决定加快新产品的开发速度。 The company decided to speed up the development of its new product.
3. 天快下雨了，我们加快走吧。 It's about to rain — let's walk faster.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, work, travel, planning

Tone: urgent

Do Say

• 我们加快速度，别迟到了。(Let's speed up so we're not late.)
• 政府加快了城市建设的步伐。(The government has accelerated the pace of urban development.)

Don't Say

• 加快你的心情。(Don't use 加快 for moods or emotions — use 改善 or 振作 instead. 加快 applies to pace, speed, or progress.)

Origin & History

Compound of 加 (to add, to increase) and 快 (fast, quick), literally meaning 'to add speed.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal