Usage patterns 機き 敏びん な 動うご き quick, agile movements
He caught the ball with quick, agile movements.
機き 敏びん な 判はん 断だん a quick, sharp decision
Her quick judgment saved the team.
〈 事こと 〉 に 機き 敏びん に 対たい 応おう する to respond promptly and cleverly to a situation
He responded promptly and cleverly even to the sudden question.
機き 敏びん に 反はん 応のう する to react quickly and sharply
The cat reacted quickly to the sound.
Kanji 機 loom, mechanism, machine 敏 cleverness, agile, alert Related words 素早い emphasizes physical speed of movement, while 機敏 focuses more on mental alertness and resourceful reaction.
敏捷 is a more literary synonym stressing physical agility and nimbleness, whereas 機敏 leans toward quick, clever judgment in a situation.
鋭い means sharp in perception or intellect, but 機敏 adds the nuance of prompt, practical action rather than just insight.
敏 broadly means quick or sharp, while 機敏 specifically describes quick, alert reactions to a situation.
機敏 is a formal word for alert, prompt reactions, whereas すばしっこい is colloquial and evokes nimble, sometimes sneaky quickness.
Written forms 機き 敏びん Usage 99%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency in news and common usage.
きびん Usage 1%
Kana spelling is acceptable in everyday writing, though the kanji form is more common.
Etymology Compound of 機 (opportunity, mechanism) and 敏 (agile, quick). The combination conveys the idea of seizing an opportunity with mental sharpness.
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