开快车 (kāi kuài chē) — to speed, to drive fast (in a vehicle); to rush through work, to hurry through tasks hastily

Definition

A verb-object phrase with two related uses: literally 'drive fast' (a vehicle), and figuratively 'rush through work' to meet a deadline. Lightly negative — implies carelessness or risk, not just speed.

verb
to speedto drive fast (in a vehicle)to rush through workto hurry through tasks hastily

Examples

  • 开快车。
    Bú yào zài gāo sù gōng lù shàng kāi kuài chē.
    Don't speed on the expressway.
  • ，开快车。
    Tā wèi le gǎn shí jiān, zuò gōng zuò zǒng shì kāi kuài chē.
    He always rushes through his work to meet deadlines.
  • ，。
    Tā kāi le yí cì kuài chē, bèi jǐng chá lán zhù le.
    He sped once and was stopped by the police.

Origin

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 開; 开 is its simplified writing.

  • 門門méndoor
  • 一一yīlatch and/or wooden pole that shuts a door
  • 廾廾gǒnga pair of hands

The traditional form 開 shows 廾, a pair of hands, and 一, a latch or pole, inside 門, a door: hands opening a latched door. The simplified 开 is a shorthand form, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 开 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
忄Written in full as心xīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
夬
夬guài快kuài
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

快 pairs the left part 忄 (full form 心, the heart) with the right part 夬, which gives the sound.

Open 快 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 車; 车 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 車 was drawn as a carriage seen from above, with wheels on both sides and a shaft at the front; the simplified 车 is a later shorthand.

Open 车 →

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