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速 (sù) — (bound form) fast, rapid; speed; (bound form, literary) to invite (only in fixed expressions such as 不速之客)

Definition

速 is a bound morpheme meaning 'fast / speed', used in compounds like 速度 and 迅速. In the literary fixed phrase 不速之客, it means 'uninvited' (literally 'unspeeded guest').

bound form
fastrapidspeed(bound form, literary) to invite (only in fixed expressions such as 不速之客)

Examples

  • 。
    Zhè liàng chē de sù dù hěn kuài.
    This car's speed is very fast.
  • 。
    Jiù yuán xíng dòng fēi cháng xùn sù.
    The rescue operation was very rapid.
  • 。
    Tā men jiā lái le yí wèi bú sù zhī kè.
    An uninvited guest came to their home.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
束shù速sù
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
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