urgent / in a hurry
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to be in a hurry
To be in a rush or under time pressure because you need to get somewhere quickly or want to get something done quickly.
Ich kann nicht lange bleiben, ich habe es heute sehr eilig.
I can't stay long; I'm in a real hurry today.
The adjective 'eilig' (urgent/in a hurry) is derived from the noun 'die Eile' (haste). Both words express that you have little time or that something needs to happen quickly.
In der morgendlichen Eile vergaß er seine Tasche.
In the morning rush, he forgot his bag.
To express that a person is in a hurry, you use the fixed expression 'es eilig haben' (to be in a hurry). The pronoun 'es' is a fixed part of the expression.
Ich muss jetzt gehen, ich habe es wirklich eilig.
I have to go now; I'm really in a hurry.
When something is urgent, 'eilig' (urgent) is used like a normal adjective. It can stand before a noun or be connected with the verb 'sein' (to be).
Der Chef hat mir eine eilige Aufgabe gegeben.
The boss gave me an urgent task.
fast / quick
'schnell' and 'eilig' both have to do with having little time, but they emphasize different things. 'schnell' describes how something happens: at high speed or without delay. 'eilig' is more about time pressure. A person 'hat es eilig' (is in a hurry) when they need to leave quickly or get something done soon. Something is 'eilig' (urgent) when it needs to be dealt with urgently. Learners confuse these words because both often occur in stressful situations. Remember: 'schnell' says how fast something goes; 'eilig' says that little time is left or that something is urgent.
Morgen habe ich es eilig, weil mein Zug früh abfährt.
Tomorrow I'll be in a hurry because my train leaves early.
Herr Meier isst heute Abend schnell, weil der Kurs gleich beginnt.
Mr. Meier is eating quickly this evening because the course is about to start.