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手早い (てばやい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

手て早ばやい

て

ば

や

い

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

i-adjective

nimble; quick; agile

Describes actions or work done with speed and dexterity, often implying efficiency and skill.

彼かの女じょは手て早ばやく料りょう理りを準じゅん備びした。
She prepared the meal quickly and efficiently.
手て早

ばや

い

処しょ

理り

が

求もと

め

られる

仕し

事ごと

だ

。

It's a job that requires quick and nimble handling.

Written forms

手て早ばやいUsage96%
Standard kanji spelling; high priority in news and frequency lists.
手てばやいUsage4%
Mixed kana spelling sometimes seen in less formal writing.

Kanji

手hand
早early, fast

Similar words

素す早ばやい
素早い emphasizes swiftness of movement or reaction, while 手早い focuses on manual dexterity and efficiency in performing tasks.
迅じん速そく
迅速 is a more formal noun/adjectival noun meaning 'speedy' or 'prompt', often used in official contexts, whereas 手早い is a casual i-adjective for quick, skillful actions.

Etymology

Compound of 手 (hand) and 早い (fast), literally 'hand-fast', referring to quick and skillful manual work.