Definition

1. Adjective (Tính từ):
   • Very fast, rapid, quick: Describes an action or movement performed with great speed or swiftness. It is a reduplicative form (láy) of "nhách," intensifying the meaning of speed.
   • Nimble, agile: Can describe someone who moves or acts in a quick and light-footed manner.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Cậu bé chạy nhanh nhách ra sân. (The boy ran very quickly out to the yard.)
  • Cô ấy làm việc nhanh nhách lắm. (She works very fast.)
  • Đôi tay anh ấy thao tác nhanh nhách. (His hands operate with nimble speed.)

Advanced Usage

• "nhanh nhách như cắt": as fast as lightning; an idiom comparing speed to the swiftness of a bird of prey (cắt - falcon).
  • Cô ấy giải bài toán nhanh nhách như cắt. (She solved the math problem as fast as lightning.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nhanh (adj): Fast, quick. The root word.
• Nhanh nhảu (adj): Quick (often in speech or response), sometimes with a slightly hasty or impatient connotation.
• Nhanh nhẹn (adj): Agile, nimble, quick and clever in movement or action.

Synonyms

• Mau lẹ: Swift, prompt.
• Lẹ làng: Quick, brisk.
• Chóng vánh: Quickly, in a short time.

Notes on Usage

• Word Type: "Nhanh nhách" is a reduplicative adjective (tính từ láy). Reduplication in Vietnamese often intensifies the meaning or adds a descriptive nuance.
• Register: The word is common in spoken and informal written Vietnamese. It is less formal than synonyms like "nhanh chóng."
• Reference Context: As noted in the reference, "nhanh nhách" is a variant of "nhách." The base word "nhách" is rarely used alone in modern Vietnamese and primarily appears in its reduplicated forms (like "nhanh nhách" or "lách nhách") to convey speed or a state of being scattered/separated. Therefore, "nhanh nhách" is the primary, stand-alone form used to mean "very fast."

1. xem nhách (láy)