Meaning of 特快
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- express (train, delivery etc)
How to use 特快
特快 is mostly used for trains and delivery services, often as part of a fixed name like 特快列车 (tèkuài lièchē, express train) or 特快专递 (tèkuài zhuāndì, express mail). Example: 我们坐特快去上海。(Wǒmen zuò tèkuài qù Shànghǎi.) We are taking the express train to Shanghai.
特快 combines 特 (tè), meaning special, as in 特别 (tèbié), with 快 (kuài), meaning fast. Something that is specially fast is an express service.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes use 特快 to mean "very fast" in general, like 他跑得特快. That reads as casual "super fast" in speech, not the service term, and the standard way to say it is 他跑得特别快 (tā pǎo de tèbié kuài). Also keep the tones straight: 特 is fourth tone and 快 is fourth tone, so both syllables fall.
特快 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
特 tè · special · 10 strokes
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- 10
快 kuài · rapid · 7 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 特快.
| 特别 | tèbié | unusual; special; very; especially; particularly |
| 快乐 | kuàilè | happy; joyful |
| 快要 | kuàiyào | nearly at the point of (doing sth); about to (do sth) |
| 快点儿 | kuài diǎnr | erhua variant of 快點|快点[kuai4 dian3] |
| 特点 | tèdiǎn | characteristic; trait; feature |
| 凉快 | liángkuai | pleasantly cool (weather etc); to cool oneself; to cool off |
| 快餐 | kuàicān | fast food; snack |
| 赶快 | gǎnkuài | quickly; at once |
| 快速 | kuàisù | fast; high-speed; rapid |
| 加快 | jiākuài | to accelerate; to speed up; to hasten |
| 特色 | tèsè | a characteristic; a distinctive feature or quality |
| 尽快 | jǐnkuài | as quickly as possible; as soon as possible |
Questions about 特快
What does 特快 mean?
特快 (tèkuài) means "express (train, delivery etc)" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 特快?
特快 is made of 2 characters: 特 (10 strokes), 快 (7 strokes). That is 17 strokes in total.
Is 特快 an HSK word?
Yes. 特快 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 特快 and 快车?
快车 (kuàichē) is a general word for a fast train or express bus. 特快 is a specific service level that is faster than an ordinary 快车 in the traditional Chinese rail system. In older train numbers, T trains were 特快.
Can 特快 be used alone as a noun?
Yes, in context people often say 特快 to mean the express train itself, for example 坐特快 (zuò tèkuài, take the express). For mail, the full term 特快专递 or the abbreviation EMS is more common.