快步 (kuài bù) — quick pace, brisk walk; (military) half-step; (…

Definition

A noun for a brisk walking pace, and also a specialized term for the military half-step or the horse's trot.

noun

quick pacebrisk walk(military) half-step(equestrian) trot

快步。
Tā kuài bù zǒu jìn le bàn gōng shì.
He walked quickly into the office.
，快步。
Bù duì jiē dào mìng lìng, kāi shǐ yǐ kuài bù qián jìn.
The troops received orders and began to advance at a half-step.
，快步。
Mǎ shù bǐ sài zhōng, kuài bù shì yì zhǒng zhòng yào bù fá.
In equestrian competitions, the trot is an important gait.

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.

The 快 'fast' sense combines with 步 'step' to mean a brisk pace.

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.

忄夬快

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.

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

止止步

步 uses two 止 (foot) forms, one reversed, to show one foot stepping in front of the other.