敏捷
mǐn jié · HSK 7
quick
🐆 敏 (quick-witted) + 捷 (swift) = two fast characters stacked, so doubly nimble
Both halves already mean fast: 敏 is mental quickness (sharp, alert) and 捷 is physical swiftness (a quick victory). Together they cover quick body and quick mind, hence nimble, quick, and shrewd.
敏 — every 每 + tap/strike 攵
敏 combines 每 (every, originally a woman with hair ornament) with 攵 (a hand holding a stick, indicating action). The original sense suggested quick, diligent action — responding swiftly to every task. It came to mean 'quick, agile, sharp' in both physical and mental senses.