Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Fast in Spanish: Rápido
Rápido · adjective · RRAH-pee-doh
Fast in Spanish is rápido as an adjective and rápidamente or rápido as an adverb. Note that when fast means fasting (not eating), the Spanish word is ayuno.
Rápido is pronounced RRAH-pee-doh, with stress on the first syllable and a rolled initial R.
Este coche es muy rápido — llega a doscientos kilómetros por hora.
This car is very fast — it reaches two hundred kilometers per hour.
Fast in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for fast, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| rápido | fast | RRAH-pee-doh | Default, widely understood |
| veloz | fast | literary/elevated register | |
| ayuno | fast | when fast means fasting from food |
How Native Speakers Use Rápido
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Describing speed
El tren de alta velocidad es increíblemente rápido.
The high-speed train is incredibly fast.
Describing transportation speed.
Adverb usage
Habla más rápido, no te entiendo.
Speak faster, I can't understand you.
Actually means speak more slowly — mistake context.
Fasting meaning
Hoy estoy en ayuno — no como hasta las seis de la tarde.
Today I'm fasting — I don't eat until six in the evening.
Fast as abstaining from food.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Rápido
Forgetting gender agreement
Incorrect: La moto es muy rápido.
Correct: La moto es muy rápida.
As an adjective, rápido changes to rápida with feminine nouns.
Confusing fast (speed) with fast (not eating)
Incorrect: Estoy rápido hoy — no como nada.
Correct: Estoy en ayuno hoy — no como nada.
Rápido means fast (speed), while ayuno means fast (abstaining from food).
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See Rápido used by native speakers
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Common Questions About Fast in Spanish
- How do you say fast in Spanish?
- For speed, use rápido (RRAH-pee-doh) as an adjective that agrees in gender: rápido/rápida; for fasting from food, the word is ayuno.
- How do you say faster in Spanish?
- The comparative form is más rápido (faster) and the superlative is el más rápido (the fastest) — there is no single-word comparative like English faster.
- Can rápido be used as an adverb?
- In everyday speech, rápido is commonly used as an adverb (ven rápido — come fast), though the formal adverb form is rápidamente.