verb HSK 4
to accelerate · to speed up · to quicken
Meaning
加速 means to increase speed or to make something happen faster. It's used for physical acceleration (like a car speeding up) as well as abstract processes (like economic growth accelerating). The word literally combines 'to add' (加) and 'speed' (速).
Usage
加速 is common in both everyday and formal contexts. It's frequently used for vehicles, technological processes, economic development, and work pace. Can be used intransitively (the car accelerated) or transitively (to accelerate the process). Often appears in news reports about economic or technological development.
Examples
- 01司机踩下油门，汽车开始加速。, .The driver stepped on the gas pedal, and the car began to accelerate.
- 02政府正在采取措施加速经济复苏。.The government is taking measures to accelerate economic recovery.
Characters
Common collocations
- 加速发展to accelerate development
- 加速器accelerator
- 不断加速to continuously accelerate
- 全速加速to accelerate at full speed
Antonyms
Origin
Modern compound combining 加 (to add/increase) with 速 (speed), creating a straightforward meaning of 'to increase speed.' This is a typical Chinese word formation pattern.