Rápido

Rápido is a Spanish adjective meaning fast or quick, used to describe the speed of people, objects, actions, or processes. It agrees in gender and number: rápido (masculine singular), rápida (feminine singular), rápidos (masculine plural), rápidas (feminine plural). It can also function as an adverb in everyday speech, where it modifies a verb in expressions like hablar rápido; the normative adverb form is usually rápido or, in more formal contexts, rápidamente.

In usage, rápido appears in phrases such as un coche rápido (a fast car), una respuesta rápida (a quick response), or ir rápido (to go fast). It is commonly contrasted with lento (slow). In technical or formal writing, more precise terms may replace rápido, for example velocidad or rapidez to denote speed as a concept.

Etymology: rápido comes from the Latin rapidus, meaning swift or speedy, which in turn relates to the idea of swiftness and motion. It has cognates in other Romance languages, including portugués rápido, French rapide, Italian rapido, and Romanian rapid. The same Latin root also gave rise to the English word rapid.

See also: velocidad (speed), prisa (hurry), veloz (swift), rapidez (rapidity).