Chinese word

赶

Pronunciation

Pinyingǎn

Meaning

  • verbhurry

Example

现在我得赶回家。xiàn zài wǒ děi gǎn huí jiā

Now I have to hurry home.

Illustration for 赶 (hurry)

More examples

我们今天上午很忙，一直在赶时间。wǒ men jīn tiān shàng wǔ hěn máng yì zhí zài gǎn shí jiān

We were very busy this morning and kept racing against time.

Core concept

Forward movement under pressure, either to catch up with a target or deadline or to make someone move on.

Common phrases

  • 赶时间gǎn shí jiān

    race against time

  • 赶路gǎn lù

    hurry along

Similar words

赶上gǎn shàng: Managing to arrive before a planned time has passed.
赶到gǎn dào: Hurrying to reach a particular destination.
赶走gán zǒu: Making a person or animal leave a place.

Definition in Chinese

加快动作或速度以赶上别人、某个时间点或不落后于安排，也可指催促别人或把人赶走。jiā kuài dòng zuò huò sù dù yǐ gǎn shàng bié rén mǒu gè shí jiān diǎn huò bú luò hòu yú ān pái yě kě zhǐ cuī cù bié rén huò bǎ rén gán zǒu

Word origin

The traditional form 趕 (gǎn, "hurry") combines 走 (zǒu, "walk") with 旱 (hàn, "dry") as a sound element, reflecting an older sense of chasing or driving something onward.

Usage tips

  • When a person is the object, the verb can sound like an order to leave, while a destination or scheduled event usually makes the intended everyday meaning clearer.

Other meanings

  • urgeverb
  • drive awayverb

Opposites

  • 放慢fàng mànslow downverb

Related words

Word lists with this word