Tutorial 17: Rate of Speed - Chinese Numbers Explained

速

度

Now that you know words for distance and duration you can talk about speed:

速度

sù dù

Rate of Speed
speed	degree
速	度
sù	dù

How fast?
how (much)	fast
多	快
duō	kuài

The pattern for expressing speed is the same as with other kinds of rates like frequency: the time unit comes first and then the number with the distance units. So 50 Kilometers per hour is structured like "one hour 50 kilometers" or "each hour 50 kilometers". For example:

50 Kilometers per Hour
one	hour	fifty	kilometers
一	小时	五十	公里
yī	xiǎo shí	wŭ shí	gōng lǐ

50 Kilometers per Hour (alt.)
each	hour	fifty	kilometers
每	小时	五十	公里
měi	xiǎo shí	wŭ shí	gōng lǐ

Some more examples with other units:

55 Miles per Hour
one	hour	fifty-five	miles
一	小时	五十五	英里
yī	xiǎo shí	wŭ shí wŭ	yīng lǐ

10 Meters per Second
each	second	ten	meters
每	秒	十	米
měi	miǎo	shí	mǐ

Since speed is often expressed in terms of distance covered in an hour, the word for 'hourly speed' can be used:

时速

shí sù

.

50 Kilometers per Hour (abbr.)
hourly speed	fifty	kilometers
时速	五十	公里
shí sù	wŭ shí	gōng lǐ

You'll frequently see velocity referenced in terms of the speed limit:

限速

xiàn sù

. Notice in the second example the units of length are omitted, since it's generally implied that speeds are expressed in terms of kilometers:

Speed Limit is 50 Kph
speed limit	is	each	hour	fifty	kilometers
限速	为	每	小时	五十	公里
xiàn sù	wèi	měi	xiǎo shí	wŭ shí	gōng lǐ

50 Kph Speed Limit (Abbr.)
speed limit	fifty
限速	五十
xiàn sù	wŭ shí

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