快点

kuài diǎn: 快点 - Hurry Up, Quickly

Quick Summary

  • Keywords: kuai dian, 快点, hurry up in Chinese, what does kuai dian mean, quickly in Chinese, how to say faster in Chinese, Chinese imperative, urging someone in Chinese, Chinese for beginners
  • Summary: “快点” (kuài diǎn) is one of the most common and essential phrases in Mandarin Chinese, directly translating to “hurry up” or “quickly.” This versatile expression is used in countless daily situations to urge someone to speed up, from a parent rushing their child to a friend eager to catch a movie. While incredibly useful, its politeness level depends heavily on the tone of voice, making it a crucial term for beginners to master for effective and appropriate communication in modern China.

Core Meaning

  • Pinyin (with tone marks): kuài diǎn
  • Part of Speech: Adverb, Imperative Phrase
  • HSK Level: HSK 2
  • Concise Definition: Do something more quickly; hurry up.
  • In a Nutshell: “快点” is the default way to tell someone, or even an inanimate process like a computer download, to go faster. It's a combination of “快 (kuài)” meaning “fast” and “点 (diǎn)” meaning “a little.” Literally, it means “a little faster,” but in practice, it functions as a direct command: “Hurry up!” It's fundamentally informal and its perceived rudeness is almost entirely dependent on the context and the speaker's tone.

Character Breakdown

  • 快 (kuài): This character means “fast,” “quick,” or “swift.” The left side is the “heart” radical (忄), and the right side (夬) provides the sound. Together, they can be thought of as a feeling or state of quickness, something that happens in a flash.
  • 点 (diǎn): This character means “a dot,” “a point,” or in this context, “a little bit.” It's one of the most versatile characters in Chinese.
  • How they combine: Putting them together, 快点 (kuài diǎn) literally translates to “fast a little bit.” The “点 (diǎn)” softens the command ever so slightly compared to just shouting “快 (kuài)!”, but the overall meaning is a clear and direct exhortation to increase one's speed.

Cultural Context and Significance

  • In the fast-paced environment of modern Chinese cities, efficiency is highly valued. As a result, being direct about time is often seen as practical rather than impolite, especially among peers, family, or in service situations. “快点” embodies this practicality.
  • Comparison to Western Culture: In English, saying a blunt “Hurry up!” can often be perceived as rude. People might prefer more indirect phrases like, “Could we possibly speed things up a bit?” or “We're running a little late.” While polite forms exist in Chinese, “快点” is used with much greater frequency and acceptance in informal settings. A Chinese friend telling another “快点!” is as normal as an American friend saying “Come on, let's go!” The directness is not inherently aggressive; it's just efficient. The key cultural takeaway is that the tone of voice and the relationship between the speakers are far more important in determining politeness than the words themselves.

Practical Usage in Modern China

  • Informal and Daily Life: This is the most common context. It's used constantly between family members, friends, and couples.
    • A mother to a child: “快点吃饭，然后做作业！” (Hurry up and eat, then do your homework!)
    • Friends waiting for someone: “你好了没有？快点，电影要开始了！” (Are you ready yet? Hurry up, the movie is about to start!)
  • In Service Situations: It can be used with taxi drivers or restaurant staff, but the tone should be neutral or questioning to avoid sounding demanding.
    • To a taxi driver: “师傅，麻烦您快点，我赶飞机。” (Driver, could you please hurry? I have a flight to catch.) Adding “麻烦您” (máfán nín - “trouble you”) makes it polite.
  • As an Exclamation of Impatience: When used alone, often repeated, it expresses frustration with a slow process.
    • Staring at a slow internet connection: “快点，快点，快点！” (Come on, come on, come on!)
  • Connotation and Formality: “快点” is almost exclusively informal. Its connotation can range from a playful nudge to a serious command to a cry of frustration. In formal or business settings, you would use a more complete and polite sentence instead of this direct phrase.

Example Sentences

  • Example 1: (Urging a child)
    • 快点穿衣服，我们上学要迟到了！
    • Pinyin: Kuài diǎn chuān yīfú, wǒmen shàngxué yào chídào le!
    • English: Hurry up and get dressed, we're going to be late for school!
    • Analysis: A very common, direct command from a parent to a child. The tone is urgent but typical in a family context.
  • Example 2: (To a friend)
    • 你怎么还在那儿？快点过来啊！
    • Pinyin: Nǐ zěnme hái zài nà'er? Kuài diǎn guòlái a!
    • English: Why are you still over there? Hurry up and come here!
    • Analysis: The particle “啊 (a)” at the end softens the tone, making it sound more like an informal, friendly exhortation.
  • Example 3: (In a taxi)
    • 师傅，不好意思，能开得快点吗？我有点儿着急。
    • Pinyin: Shīfù, bù hǎoyìsi, néng kāi de kuài diǎn ma? Wǒ yǒudiǎn'er zhāojí.
    • English: Driver, excuse me, could you drive a bit faster? I'm in a bit of a hurry.
    • Analysis: This is the polite way to use it in a service context. Phrasing it as a question (“能…吗？”) and adding “不好意思” (excuse me) removes any sense of demandingness.
  • Example 4: (Self-talk / Impatience)
    • 这个文件怎么下载得这么慢？快点，快点！
    • Pinyin: Zhège wénjiàn zěnme xiàzài de zhème màn? Kuài diǎn, kuài diǎn!
    • English: Why is this file downloading so slowly? Come on, come on!
    • Analysis: Here, “快点” is muttered out of frustration at an inanimate process. Repeating it emphasizes the impatience.
  • Example 5: (Encouraging a decision)
    • 别犹豫了，快点决定吧！
    • Pinyin: Bié yóuyù le, kuài diǎn juédìng ba!
    • English: Stop hesitating, hurry up and decide!
    • Analysis: Used to encourage a friend who is being indecisive. The “吧 (ba)” particle suggests a proposal, making it sound less like a command and more like strong advice.
  • Example 6: (In a restaurant)
    • 服务员，可以快点上菜吗？我们很饿。
    • Pinyin: Fúwùyuán, kěyǐ kuài diǎn shàng cài ma? Wǒmen hěn è.
    • English: Waiter, can you serve the food a bit more quickly? We're very hungry.
    • Analysis: A reasonable and common request in a restaurant. Using “可以…吗？” (kěyǐ…ma? - “is it possible to…?”) keeps it polite.
  • Example 7: (Playful and whining)
    • 快点嘛，我等不及了！
    • Pinyin: Kuài diǎn ma, wǒ děng bùjí le!
    • English: Hurry up~! I can't wait!
    • Analysis: The particle “嘛 (ma)” gives the phrase a whiny, pleading, or coquettish tone. It's often used between close friends or partners.
  • Example 8: (As a component of a verb)
    • 你快点说，到底发生了什么事？
    • Pinyin: Nǐ kuài diǎn shuō, dàodǐ fāshēngle shénme shì?
    • English: Quickly tell me, what on earth happened?
    • Analysis: Here, “快点” acts as an adverb directly modifying the verb “说” (shuō - to speak), meaning “speak quickly.”
  • Example 9: (Responding to someone)
    • A: 你准备好了吗？ (Nǐ zhǔnbèi hǎo le ma? - Are you ready?)
    • B: 好了好了，你别催了，我走得快点就是了。 (Hǎo le hǎo le, nǐ bié cuī le, wǒ zǒu de kuài diǎn jiùshì le.)
    • English: A: Are you ready? B: Okay, okay, stop rushing me, I'll just walk a bit faster.
    • Analysis: This shows how someone might respond when being told to hurry up. It acknowledges the request while showing slight annoyance (“你别催了” - nǐ bié cuī le - “stop rushing me”).
  • Example 10: (In a competitive context)
    • 快点跑！他们快追上来了！
    • Pinyin: Kuài diǎn pǎo! Tāmen kuài zhuī shànglái le!
    • English: Run faster! They're about to catch up!
    • Analysis: In a race, game, or urgent situation, “快点” is a simple and effective command to spur someone into action. The context makes the directness necessary and not rude.

Nuances and Common Mistakes

  • Mistake 1: Ignoring the Tone. The biggest pitfall for learners is using a flat or harsh tone in a situation that requires politeness. Saying “快点” to a hotel receptionist with an impatient tone will come across as very rude. Remember: when in doubt, smile and use a questioning intonation.
  • Mistake 2: Using it to Describe a Past Action. “快点” is an imperative or a prospective adverb; it's used to urge a current or future action to be faster. You cannot use it to say you *did* something quickly in the past.
    • Incorrect: 我昨天快点做完作业了。(Wǒ zuótiān kuài diǎn zuò wán zuòyè le.)
    • Correct: 我昨天很快就做完作业了。(Wǒ zuótiān hěn kuài jiù zuò wán zuòyè le. - I finished my homework very quickly yesterday.)
  • “False Friend” with “Quickly”: While “快点” translates to “quickly,” it's not a universal adverb like in English. It's specifically for urging. To describe an action as being fast, you use structures like “Verb + 得很快” (de hěn kuài).
    • He runs quickly. → 他跑得很快 (Tā pǎo de hěn kuài).
    • (Telling him to run quickly) → 你快点跑！(Nǐ kuài diǎn pǎo!)

Related Terms and Concepts

  • 快 (kuài) - The root adjective meaning “fast” or “quick.” “快点” is derived from this.
  • 赶紧 (gǎnjǐn) - An adverb meaning “hurriedly” or “without losing time.” It's less of a command and more of a description of acting with urgency. (e.g., 天要下雨了，我们赶紧回家吧。- It's about to rain, let's hurry home.)
  • 马上 (mǎshàng) - Literally “on horseback,” this means “immediately” or “right away.” It refers to the immediacy of starting an action, not necessarily the speed of the action itself.
  • 慢点 (màn diǎn) - The direct antonym of “快点.” It means “slow down.”
  • 催 (cuī) - A verb meaning “to urge” or “to rush someone.” If someone is telling you “快点” too much, you can say “别催我！” (bié cuī wǒ! - “Stop rushing me!”).
  • 着急 (zhāojí) - A verb/adjective meaning “to be worried” or “to be in a hurry.” It describes the feeling of needing to rush. (e.g., 别着急 - bié zhāojí - “Don't worry/Don't rush.”)
  • 快走 (kuài zǒu) - A more specific command meaning “Walk faster!” or “Let's go, now!”
  • 加油 (jiāyóu) - “Go for it!” or “Come on!” While not a direct synonym, it's used to encourage someone, which can include encouraging them to go faster in a race or competition.