素早い · i-adjective
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 素早い | 素早くない |
| Polite | 素早いです | 素早くないですalso 素早くありません |
| Past polite | 素早かったです | 素早くなかったですalso 素早くありませんでした |
| Past | 素早かった | 素早くなかった |
| Te-form | 素早くて | 素早くなくて |
| Adverbial | 素早く | |
| Conditional | 素早ければ | 素早くなければ |
| Tara conditional | 素早かったら | 素早くなかったら |
He ran quickly and caught the bus.
猫は素早い動きでネズミを捕まえた。
The cat caught the mouse with a swift movement.
Refers to mental quickness: fast understanding, sharp judgement, or immediate reaction in non-physical contexts.
彼女は素早く状況を理解した。
She quickly grasped the situation.
素早い判断が求められる仕事だ。
It's a job that requires prompt judgement.
He dodged the enemy with quick movements.
The cat reacted swiftly to the noise.
He saved the team with a quick decision.
She responded promptly to the complaint.
素早い describes quick, agile physical movement or reaction, while スピーディー is broader and often used for business processes or services.
素早い is a common everyday adjective for being quick, while 敏速 is a more formal, written kanji compound.