快慢 (kuài màn) — speed, pace

Definition

noun
speedpace

Examples

  • 快慢？
    Nǐ néng gào sù wǒ zhè liàng chē de kuài màn ma?
    Can you tell me the speed of this car?
  • 快慢，。
    Liǎng gè rén de kuài màn bù yí yàng, hěn nán yì qǐ zǒu.
    The two people walk at different paces, so it's hard to walk together.
  • 快慢。
    Zuò zhè ge gōng zuò yào zhǎng wò hǎo kuài màn.
    You need to keep a good pace when doing this job.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

快kuàifast
慢mànslow

快 and 慢 together name the rate of speed.

Characters in this word

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 →

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xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
曼
曼màn慢màn
Same sound today

慢 pairs 忄 (heart) with 曼 (màn). The heart part points to a manner or sluggish behavior, while 曼’s meaning “long, extended” adds the sense of taking a long time.

Open 慢 →

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