过速 (guò sù) — excessively fast, too rapid (of speed or rate)

Definition

adjective

excessively fasttoo rapid (of speed or rate)

过速。
Tā yīn wèi xīn tiào guò sù bèi sòng jìn le yī yuàn.
He was sent to the hospital because of a too-rapid heartbeat.
过速。
Jīng jì zēng zhǎng guò sù huì yǐn fā tōng huò péng zhàng.
Excessively fast economic growth can trigger inflation.
过速，。
Zhè zhǒng fǎn yìng chū xiàn guò sù, xū yào lì kè chǔ lǐ.
This reaction has become too rapid and needs immediate attention.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

过guòover/excessively

速sùspeed/fast

过 means excessively, and 速 means speed or fast, so the word conveys too rapid.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 過; 过 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辵辵chuòwalk

Sound part声符shēngfú

咼

咼wāi過guò

Same sound today

The traditional form 過 pairs 辵 (walk) with 咼 as a sound component; the simplified 过 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

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

辵辵chuò

Sound part声符shēngfú

束

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

速 pairs 辵, the walking part, with 束, which is used for its sound; the walking part fits the meaning of moving fast.

Appears in