快 (kuài) is a Chinese character meaning “fast”. It is written from 忄 (heart (left-side form)) and 夬 (a hand pulling apart; splitting open), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “fast”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
忄 + 夬
Left–right structure
Structure from: IDS decomposition cross-checked against hanzi-writer-data stroke order (7 = 3 + 4)
Memory aid
The upright heart 忄 stands on the left; 夬 on the right carries the sound (guài → kuài). A heart that has already made up its mind wastes no time — it moves fast.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 快乐kuài lèhappy快 = kuàiHSK 1
- 加快jiā kuàito speed up; to accelerate快 = kuài
- 快捷kuài jiéquick; fast; convenient快 = kuài
- 快递kuài dìexpress delivery; courier (service or package)快 = kuài
- 赶快gǎn kuàiquickly; hurry up快 = kuài
Go deeper
All readings
fast
fast; quick; rapid; soon; sharp (of a blade); pleased
速度高，用时短；也表示快要、锋利、愉快。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 快乐kuài lèhappy快 = kuàiHSK 1
- 加快jiā kuàito speed up; to accelerate快 = kuài
- 快捷kuài jiéquick; fast; convenient快 = kuài
- 快递kuài dìexpress delivery; courier (service or package)快 = kuài
- 赶快gǎn kuàiquickly; hurry up快 = kuài
Sound component
夬 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 快 mean?
快 (kuài) means fast; quick; rapid; soon; sharp (of a blade); pleased.
How do you pronounce 快?
It is pronounced kuài.
What parts is 快 made of?
忄 (heart (left-side form)) and 夬 (a hand pulling apart; splitting open), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS decomposition cross-checked against hanzi-writer-data stroke order (7 = 3 + 4). Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 快 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 快?
心. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 快?
Common ones are 快乐 and 加快. The reading of 快 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.