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One of the best Japanese Kanji dictionary.
The kanji most commonly used for "Swift" are 迅、速、捷.
迅
迅 is speed as promptness — acting without delay. It barely appears alone, but 迅速 (swift, prompt) is an everyday word for a fast response, and that is the sense it carries: quick to act rather than quick on your feet.
捷 is swiftness as nimbleness, the character in 敏捷 (agile, quick-moving). It also carries an older meaning of victory, so it reads as the quickness that wins rather than the quickness that merely covers ground.
Neither is common on its own in modern writing; both are seen more in names and set compounds than in ordinary sentences. The plain everyday character for fast is 速, as in 速い and 速度 (speed), and 敏 covers being quick and alert — 敏感 is sensitive, quick to perceive. Between them: 速 for measurable speed, 迅 for promptness, 捷 and 敏 for agility and sharpness.
迅 reads as prompt and decisive and is the safest of the two here, though it is unusual standing alone. 捷 is rarer still and pulls toward victory as much as toward speed. If you want plain quickness, 速 is the character an ordinary reader expects.
What is Onyomi?
Onyomi, also known as the "Sino-Japanese reading," is one of the two main reading systems for kanji characters in Japanese. It refers to the reading of a kanji character that is derived from the original Chinese pronunciation.
What is Kunyomi?
Kunyomi, also known as the "native Japanese reading," is one of the two main reading systems for kanji characters in Japanese. It refers to the reading of a kanji character that is based on the native Japanese pronunciation. Kunyomi readings are often used when a kanji character stands alone or is followed by hiragana, as in verbs and adjectives. Mastering both kunyomi and onyomi is crucial for understanding and using kanji effectively in the Japanese language.
What is Radical?
A radical, also known as "bushu" in Japanese, is a fundamental component of kanji characters. Radicals are the building blocks of kanji and are used to categorize and organize them in dictionaries. There are 214 traditional radicals, each with its own meaning, which often provides a clue to the meaning of the kanji character it forms.
What is strokes?
Stroke count, or "kakusuu" in Japanese, refers to the number of individual brushstrokes required to write a kanji character. Each kanji has a specific stroke order and stroke count, which are essential for writing the character correctly and legibly. Understanding and following the correct stroke order not only ensures proper balance and aesthetics but also makes writing more efficient and fluid.