Expressing “urgency” in Chinese 

Grammar Point:
In Chinese grammar, there are several words and phrases that can be used to express a sense of urgency or the need to do something quickly. Here are some commonly used expressions: 趕緊赶紧 gǎnjǐn, 趕赶快 gǎnkuài, 連连忙 liánmáng, and 立刻 lìkè.

趕緊/赶紧 gǎnjǐn

It is often used in imperative sentences or statements to urge someone to take immediate action. It’s often used in a more casual or informal context in northern China.

你nǐ趕緊gǎnjǐn出門chūmén吧ba， 不然bùrán會huì錯過cuòguò面試miànshì你nǐ赶紧gǎnjǐn出门chūmén吧ba， 不然bùrán会huì错过cuòguò面试miànshì
You should hurry up and leave, or you will miss the interview.

趕緊gǎnjǐn說shuō！ 你們nǐmen到底dàodǐ做zuò了le什麼shénme！ 赶紧gǎnjǐn说shuō！ 你们nǐmen到底dàodǐ做zuò了le什么shénme！
Speak up! What have you guys done?

身體shēntǐ不bù舒服shūfú就jiù趕緊gǎnjǐn回家huíjiā去qù休息xiūxí身体shēntǐ不bù舒服shūfú就jiù赶紧gǎnjǐn回家huíjiā去qù休息xiūxi
If you’re not feeling well, you should go home and rest right away.

老闆lǎobǎn要yào他tā趕緊gǎnjǐn去qù向xiàng客戶kèhù道歉dàoqiàn老板lǎobǎn要yào他tā赶紧gǎnjǐn去qù向xiàng客户kèhù道歉dàoqiàn
The boss wants him to apologize to the customer promptly.

Note that it is very common to drop the subject ‘you’ in imperative sentences in Chinese.

趕快/赶快 gǎnkuài

It’s also commonly used in imperative sentences or statements in informal speech, especially in southern China and Taiwan.

你nǐ趕快gǎnkuài告訴gàosù我wǒ， 她tā到底dàodǐ跟gēn你nǐ說shuō了le什麼shénme？ 你nǐ赶快gǎnkuài告诉gàosu我wǒ， 她tā到底dàodǐ跟gēn你nǐ说shuō了le什么shénme？
Tell me quickly, what did she say to you?

趕快gǎnkuài跟gēn我wǒ走zǒu， 這裡zhèlǐ不bù安全ānquán赶快gǎnkuài跟gēn我wǒ走zǒu， 这里zhèlǐ不bù安全ānquán
Hurry up and come with me; this place isn’t safe.

已經yǐjīng很hěn晚wǎn了le， 趕快gǎnkuài去qù睡shuì吧ba已经yǐjīng很hěn晚wǎn了le， 赶快gǎnkuài去qù睡shuì吧ba
It’s already very late, you should go to sleep quickly.

敢快gǎnkuài把bǎ錢qián拿ná出來chūlái， 不然bùrán我wǒ就jiù開槍kāiqiāng了le敢快gǎnkuài把bǎ钱qián拿ná出来chūlái， 不然bùrán我wǒ就jiù开枪kāiqiāng了le
Quickly hand over the money, or I’ll shoot.

連忙/连忙 liánmáng

It is often used to describe actions in the past that were carried out promptly, , and it can be a bit more formal or literary in tone compared to 趕緊赶紧 gǎnjǐn and 趕赶快 gǎnkuài.

昨天zuótiān發現fāxiàn家jiā附近fùjìn有人yǒurén在zài辦bàn喪事sāngshì， 所以suǒyǐ經過jīngguò時shí我wǒ連忙liánmáng將jiāng頭tóu轉開zhuǎnkāi昨天zuótiān发现fāxiàn家jiā附近fùjìn有人yǒurén在zài办bàn丧事sāngshì， 所以suǒyǐ经过jīngguò时shí我wǒ连忙liánmáng将jiāng头tóu转开zhuǎnkāi
Yesterday, I noticed there was a funeral happening near my house, so when I passed by, I quickly turned my head away.

FYI
In Taiwan, there is a superstition that many elders remind their younger generations not to look inside when passing by a funeral procession or to avoid staring at the deceased in photographs. Some parents even instruct their children to close their eyes when passing by a house where a funeral is taking place. This is done out of fear of offending the deceased. Traditional superstitions suggest that looking directly at the deceased, especially in photographs, may bring bad luck and negatively affect one’s fortune and health.

突然tūrán下xià大雨dàyǔ， 可是kěshì大家dàjiā都dōu沒méi帶dài傘sǎn， 只好zhǐhǎo連忙liánmáng找zhǎo地方dìfāng躲duǒ雨yǔ突然tūrán下xià大雨dàyǔ， 可是kěshì大家dàjiā都dōu没méi带dài伞sǎn， 只好zhǐhǎo连忙liánmáng找zhǎo地方dìfang躲duǒ雨yǔ
It suddenly started pouring rain, but nobody had umbrellas, so we had to hastily find shelter.

中國Zhōngguó政府zhèngfǔ宣布xuānbù了le禁止jìnzhǐ明星míngxīng們men使用shǐyòng英文yīngwén名字míngzi， 所以suǒyǐ很多hěnduō人rén連忙liánmáng改名gǎimíng中国Zhōngguó政府zhèngfǔ宣布xuānbù了le禁止jìnzhǐ明星míngxīng们men使用shǐyòng英文yīngwén名字míngzi， 所以suǒyǐ很多hěnduō人rén连忙liánmáng改名gǎimíng
The Chinese government has announced a ban on celebrities using English names, leading many people to quickly change their names.

他tā送sòng到dào醫院yīyuàn時shí就jiù已經yǐjīng沒méi了le呼吸hūxī， 儘管jǐnguǎn醫生yīshēng連忙liánmáng進行jìnxíng搶救qiǎngjiù， 還是háishì救jiù不bù回來huílái他tā送sòng到dào医院yīyuàn时shí就jiù已经yǐjīng没méi了le呼吸hūxī， 尽管jǐnguǎn医生yīshēng连忙liánmáng进行jìnxíng抢救qiǎngjiù， 还是háishì救jiù不bu回来huílái
When he was brought to the hospital, he had already stopped breathing. Despite the doctors’ immediate efforts to resuscitate him, they were unable to save him.

立刻 lìkè

It is suitable for more serious or urgent situations and can be used in both formal and informal contexts when a high level of urgency is required.

你nǐ到dào公司gōngsī後hòu立刻lìkè來lái我wǒ辦公室bàngōngshì報告bàogào你nǐ到dào公司gōngsī后hòu立刻lìkè来lái我wǒ办公室bàngōngshì报告bàogào
Once you arrive at the office, come to my office and report immediately.

因為yīnwèi他tā在zài台灣Táiwān吸xī大麻dàmá， 所以suǒyǐ立刻lìkè被bèi遣返qiǎnfǎn回huí國guó因为yīnwèi他tā在zài台湾Táiwān吸xī大麻dàmá， 所以suǒyǐ立刻lìkè被bèi遣返qiǎnfǎn回huí国guó
Because he was caught using marijuana in Taiwan, he was immediately deported back to his home country.

立刻lìkè閉bì上shàng你的nǐde嘴zuǐ！ 立刻lìkè闭bì上shang你的nǐde嘴zuǐ！
Shut your mouth immediately!

一旦yìdàn發生fāshēng火災huǒzāi， 要yào立刻lìkè報警bàojǐng一旦yìdàn发生fāshēng火灾huǒzāi， 要yào立刻lìkè报警bàojǐng
In case of a fire, report it immediately.