ESEN
Which one to use?Beginneradjetivo / adverbioadjetivo
FastvsQuick
"Fast" describes continuous high speed; "quick" describes brevity or a short burst of speed.
Side-by-side comparison
Fast
adjetivo / adverbio"Fast" describes a high speed in a sustained or general way. "A fast car" = a car that goes at high speed. It can be both adjective and adverb.
She is a very fast runner, she won every race this season.
The train travels fast, reaching 300 km/h on this route.
Time passes fast when you are having fun.
Quick
adjetivo"Quick" emphasizes the shortness of time something takes or the speed of a reaction. "A quick look" = a brief glance. "Quick thinking" = reacting with speed.
Can I ask you a quick question? It will not take long.
Let us have a quick meeting before the presentation.
She is a quick learner, she picked it up in two days.
Common mistake
"He is a quickly driver" is wrong: "quickly" is an adverb and cannot modify a noun. Correct: "He is a fast driver". And "Drive quick" is informal; the correct adverb is "quickly" or "fast" (which does not change form).
Trick to remember it
- •"Quick" almost always precedes a noun and describes something brief ("a quick look", "a quick call").
- •"Fast" describes speed itself ("a fast car", "run fast").
- •If you can substitute with "brief": use "quick".
- •If you can substitute with "rapid": use "fast".
Quick rule
- •"Fast" = continuous high speed.
- •"Quick" = short duration or without delay.
Did you know?
"Fast" has a little-known completely opposite meaning: in Old and modern English, "fast" also means "firmly fixed, not moving". "Fast asleep" = deeply asleep (not quickly asleep). "Hold fast" = grip firmly. "Stand fast" = remain firm. This meaning comes from Old English "faest" (firm, fixed). The "fast" meaning speed is a more recent semantic evolution. One word that means both "moving very quickly" and "completely motionless". English at its most paradoxical.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She is a very _____ reader. She can finish a novel in a day.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
I just need a _____ word with you. It will only take a second.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
DovsPlay
"Do" is for individual sports and activities; "play" is for team sports and games with opponents.
HardvsDifficult
Both mean "not easy", but "hard" also means physically firm or working intensely.
LatevsLately
"Late" means behind schedule or at an advanced hour; "lately" means recently or in recent times.
AbovevsOver
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy