素早い（すばやい、subayai）
- quick

The Japanese word 素早い (すばやい, subayai) means "quick," "swift," "prompt," or "agile." It describes something or someone that moves or acts with speed and efficiency. It emphasizes not just speed but also a certain degree of skill or effectiveness in the action. It's often used to describe physical actions or mental processes. The word suggests a sense of effortless speed and precision. The word emphasizes both speed and effectiveness. The word often describes actions performed rapidly and efficiently.

⚫︎素早い動きでボールをキャッチした。 Translation: He caught the ball with a quick movement. ⚫︎彼は素早い］判断で危機を回避した。 Translation: He avoided the crisis with a swift judgment. ⚫︎その猫は素早い］獲物を捕獲するのが得意だ。 Translation: That cat is good at catching its prey quickly.

⚫︎素早い is used to describe actions, movements, or decisions that are done or made quickly and efficiently. ⚫︎It's applicable in a wide range of situations, from describing physical actions in sports or daily life to mental processes like quick thinking or prompt decision-making. ⚫︎This adjective is often used to praise someone's ability or skill in performing a task rapidly and effectively.

⚫︎素早い is written in kanji as 素早い. ⚫︎The hiragana reading is すばやい. ⚫︎There are no significant variations in okurigana. ⚫︎The stem form is 素早.

⚫︎迅速 (じんそく, jinsoku): rapid; prompt; swift. ⚫︎早い (はやい, hayai): quick; fast; early. ⚫︎敏速 (びんそく, binsoku): quick; agile; prompt. ⚫︎素速い (すばやい, subayai): a more emphatic form of 素早い.

⚫︎遅い (おそい, osoi): slow; late. ⚫︎鈍い (にぶい, nibui): dull; slow (in response). ⚫︎のろい (noroi): slow; sluggish.

彼は素早い］反応で事故を未然に防いだ。 ・Translation: He prevented the accident with a quick reaction. ・Explanation: The sentence highlights how a quick reaction prevented something negative from happening.

そのサッカー選手は素早い］ドリブルで相手を翻弄した。 ・Translation: That soccer player fooled the opponent with his swift dribbling. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the soccer player's agility and speed in dribbling to outsmart the opponent.

The word 素早い is composed of two parts: 素 (so), meaning "basic," "original," or "fundamental," and 早い (hayai), meaning "fast" or "quick." The combination suggests a "fundamental" or "natural" quickness, or an inherent speed and agility.