足あし早ばや

あ

し

ば

や

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

na-adjective

fast; quick; brisk

Describes a fast walking pace or quick movement. Most often used adverbially as 足早に.

Usage patterns

足あし早ばやに歩あるくto walk briskly
彼かれは足あし早ばやに歩あるいて駅えきに向むかった。
He walked briskly toward the station.
足あし早ばやに立たち去さるto leave hurriedly
彼かの女じょは足あし早ばやにその場ばを立たち去さった。
She hurriedly left the scene.
〈場ば所しょ〉を足あし早ばやに通とおり過すぎるto pass briskly through a place
彼かれは人ひと混ごみを足あし早ばやに通とおり過すぎた。
He briskly passed through the crowd.
〈時とき〉が足あし早ばやに過すぎるfor time (a season, etc.) to pass swiftly
夏なつは足あし早ばやに過すぎていった。
Summer passed by swiftly.

Kanji

足leg, foot, be sufficient
早early, fast
速quick, fast

Related words

急いそぎ足あし sense 1
急ぎ足 is a noun for a hurried, rushed pace, while 足早 (usually as 足早に) describes a brisk, light pace that isn't necessarily out of urgency.
早はやいN5sense 1
速い is a general i-adjective for anything fast, whereas 足早 specifically describes a quick walking pace or the swift passing of time.

Don't confuse with

速はや足あし sense 1
早足 (reversed kanji order) is a noun meaning 'quick pace/trot', while 足早 is an adjectival noun mainly used adverbially as 足早に; learners often mix up the character order.

Word family

足あし早ばやに
briskly; at a quick pace

Built from

足あし+早はや

Written forms

足あし早ばやUsage95%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
足あし速ばやUsage5%
Variant kanji spelling; much less common than 足早.

Etymology

Compound of 足 (foot) and 早 (fast). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling conventionally associates the meaning of quick movement with the kanji for foot and speed.