Meaning & readings

rapidly

On’yomi シツ
Kun’yomi はや.い

Origin

This character combines two ideas to express something happening with speed. The left component 疒 is a radical that relates to sickness or ailments—things that strike quickly and suddenly. The right component 矢 means arrow, which is the classic symbol for something moving at high speed. Together, they paint a picture of something as fast and sudden as an arrow or a sudden illness, which led to the meaning of "rapidly" or "quickly." The shape captures the sense of swift, urgent motion.

疾 10 strokes

Components

  • 疒 radical top-left wrap
  • 矢 meaning part position.tarec

Common words

  • 疾患 しっかん disease; illness
  • 疾走 しっそう sprint; dash
  • 疾病 しっぺい illness; disease
  • 疾風 しっぷう gale; strong wind

Reference

Strokes
10
Kangxi radical
104
Formation type
Compound ideographic (combined meanings)
Grade
Jōyō (secondary school)
Frequency rank
#1577 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 1
Unicode
U+075BE