What does 빠르다 mean?

빠르다 (ppa-reu-da, ppareuda)

빠르다 (ppareuda) means 'to be fast' in Korean. It's commonly used in daily and business conversations.

Speed concept with running person icon

Definition & nuance

Core meaning and shades learners miss.

빠르다(ppa-reu-da, ppareuda)

‘빠르다’ means that an action, change, or reaction happens in a short time or at a high speed.

Nuances

  • basic meaning: high speed
  • short duration of time
  • used for quick reactions or processing
  • emphasizes faster speed in comparisons

When to use

daily conversation, business work, sports game

In context

‘빠르다’ is mainly an adjective describing the speed or quickness of the subject. It often pairs with the adverb ‘빨리’ (quickly). It is used in both formal and informal contexts, but polite speech markers should be added depending on the situation.

Real-world examples

  • 이 컴퓨터는 작동 속도가 빠르다.

    i keom-pyu-teo-neun jak-dong sok-do-ga ppa-reu-da., i keom pyu teo neun jak dong sok do ga ppa reu da.

    ‘빠르다’ correctly describes the speed of the computer's operation.

  • 그 사람은 빠르게 걷다.

    geu sa-ram-eun ppa-reu-ge geot-da., geu sa ram eun ppa reu ge geot da.

    ‘빠르게’ is adverbial, but the sentence lacks proper verb conjugation.

  • 처리 속도가 빠르니까 업무가 수월하다.

    cheo-ri sok-do-ga ppa-reu-ni-kka eop-mu-ga su-wol-ha-da., cheo ri sok do ga ppa reu ni kka eop mu ga su wol ha da.

    ‘빠르다’ correctly functions as an adjective describing processing speed.

  • 오늘은 너무 빠르다.

    o-neul-eun neo-mu ppa-reu-da., o neul eun neo mu ppa reu da.

    ‘빠르다’ is awkward with ‘today’ as the subject because it describes speed or quickness, not dates.

Quick quiz

  1. What is the correct meaning of ‘빠르다’?

    ‘빠르다’의 뜻으로 옳은 것은?(‘ppa-reu-da’uitteus-eu-rool-eungeos-eun?, ‘ppareuda’uitteuseurooleungeoseun?)
  2. Which sentence uses ‘빠르다’ correctly?

    다음 중 ‘빠르다’를 올바르게 사용한 문장은?(da-eumjung‘ppa-reu-da’reulol-ba-reu-gesa-yong-hanmun-jang-eun?, daeumjung‘ppareuda’reulolbareugesayonghanmunjangeun?)
  3. Which word is most related to ‘빠르다’?

    ‘빠르다’와 가장 관련 있는 단어는?(‘ppa-reu-da’waga-janggwan-ryeoniss-neundan-eo-neun?, ‘ppareuda’wagajanggwanryeonissneundaneoneun?)

More meaning guides

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