はしっこい

also: はしこい

は

し

っ

こ

い

Meanings

1

i-adjective

smart; clever; sharp; shrewd

usually written using kana alone

Describes a person who is mentally quick, sharp-witted, or shrewd, often with a nuance of being street-smart or crafty.

あの子こははしっこくて、すぐに答こたえを見みつける。
That kid is sharp and finds the answer right away.

彼かれははしっこいから、騙だまされないよ。

He's shrewd, so he won't be fooled.

2

i-adjective

agile; nimble; quick

usually written using kana alone

Describes physical quickness and agility; can also refer to mental quickness in some contexts, but primarily physical nimbleness.

猫ねこははしっこくて、高たかいところにも簡かん単たんに登のぼる。
Cats are nimble and easily climb to high places.
彼かれははしっこい動うごきで相あい手てをかわした。
He dodged his opponent with quick movements.

Written forms

はしっこいUsage45%
Standard kana spelling; the word is usually written in kana.
はしこいUsage55%
Alternate reading without the geminate consonant. Less common than はしっこい.
捷い
rarely-used kanji form
- はしっこい
  Rare kanji form; not commonly used.
- はしこい
敏捷い
rarely-used kanji form
- はしっこい
  Rare kanji form; not commonly used.
- はしこい

Kanji

捷victory, fast
敏cleverness, agile, alert

Similar words

賢かしこい
賢い means 'wise' or 'intelligent' in a more academic or thoughtful sense, while はしっこい implies quick-wittedness or shrewdness, often with a practical or crafty edge.
素す早ばやい
素早い means 'swift' or 'quick' and is more commonly used for physical speed, whereas はしっこい emphasizes agility and nimbleness, often with a connotation of cleverness in movement.

Etymology

The word is likely derived from the stem はし (as in はしる 'run' or はしこい 'quick') with the adjectival suffix っこい, which adds a sense of being prone to or having a quality. The exact derivation is uncertain.