How to Say "fast" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “fast” is “rápido” — use this adjective to describe something that moves at a high speed, like a vehicle or an animal.
rápido
Examples
El tren es muy rápido.
The train is very fast.
rápido
Examples
¡Ven rápido, por favor!
Come quickly, please!
deprisa
deh-PREE-sahdeˈpɾisa
Examples
¡Vístete deprisa! Vamos a llegar tarde.
Get dressed quickly! We are going to be late.
Ella siempre habla muy deprisa cuando está nerviosa.
She always speaks very fast when she is nervous.
Necesitamos terminar este informe deprisa.
We need to finish this report quickly.
Always the Same
As an adverb, 'deprisa' always stays the same. It does not change based on who is speaking or whether the noun is singular or plural.
Adding an 'a' ending
Mistake: “Hablamos deprisas.”
Correction: Hablamos deprisa. (Adverbs don't take plural endings.)
rápidamente
Examples
El niño se comió el helado rápidamente antes de que se derritiera.
The child quickly ate the ice cream before it melted.
veloz
beh-LOHSbeˈlos
Examples
El guepardo es el animal más veloz del mundo.
The cheetah is the fastest animal in the world.
Necesitamos una respuesta veloz para resolver este problema.
We need a quick response to solve this problem.
Su veloz recuperación sorprendió a todos los doctores.
His speedy recovery surprised all the doctors.
One Form for All
This word doesn't care about gender! Whether you're talking about a man (un hombre veloz) or a woman (una mujer veloz), the word stays exactly the same.
The Z to C Rule
In Spanish, when words ending in 'z' become plural (referring to more than one thing), the 'z' changes to a 'c' before adding 'es'. So, 'veloz' becomes 'veloces'.
The 'Veloza' Error
Mistake: “La gata es veloza.”
Correction: La gata es veloz. 'Veloz' does not have a feminine form ending in 'a'.
Spelling the Plural
Mistake: “Los coches son velozes.”
Correction: Los coches son veloces. Always use 'c' when making this word plural.
ligero
li-HEH-rohliˈxe.ɾo
Examples
Es un corredor muy ligero; ganó la carrera fácilmente.
He is a very fast runner; he won the race easily.
Necesitamos tomar una decisión ligera sobre esto.
We need to make a quick decision about this.
Adverbial Form
To say something is done 'quickly' or 'lightly' (the adverb), you usually use the feminine form of the adjective plus '-mente': 'ligeramente'.
adelantado
ah-deh-lahn-TAH-doha.ðe.lanˈta.ðo
Examples
Mi reloj está cinco minutos adelantado.
My watch is five minutes fast (ahead).
Terminamos el trabajo tres días adelantados.
We finished the work three days ahead of schedule.
Es una tecnología muy adelantada para su época.
It is a very advanced technology for its time.
Gender Agreement
Like many Spanish adjectives, 'adelantado' must change its ending to match the thing it describes: 'un reloj adelantado' (masculine) but 'una tecnología adelantada' (feminine).
Mixing up 'Adelantar' and 'Avanzar'
Mistake: “Using 'avanzado' when referring to being ahead of a clock or schedule.”
Correction: Use 'adelantado' specifically for time or schedules: 'Estamos adelantados' (We are ahead of time). 'Avanzado' is better for general progress or complexity.
volando
voh-LAHN-dohboˈlan.do
Examples
¡Vente volando! Tenemos que salir ya.
Come quickly! We have to leave now.
Hice el informe volando porque tenía mucha prisa.
I did the report quickly because I was in a big rush.
El repartidor llegó volando con mi pizza.
The delivery person arrived in a flash with my pizza.
Rápido vs. Deprisa/Rápidamente
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