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March 24, 2026
早zǎo(zao3)
The character 早 (zǎo) primarily means 'early' or 'morning.' It is commonly used to greet someone in the morning with '早上好' (zǎo shàng hǎo), meaning 'Good morning!' Additionally, it can refer to something that happens sooner than expected or something that occurred a long time ago.
Strokes6Radical日Frequency#292DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, greeting someone with '早' in the morning reflects a sense of politeness and community. Morning greetings are an important social norm, highlighting the value placed on relationships.
Memory Tip
Imagine a sun rising early in the morning, casting warm light across the landscape. The character 早 resembles the sun peeking over the horizon, symbolizing the start of a new day. The pronunciation 'zǎo' sounds like the word 'sow,' as in sowing seeds early for a good harvest.
Meanings of 早
zǎo(zao3)
1early
2morning
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 早
早Simplified
6Strokes
日Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#292Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL1HSKKL1CEFRA1
Podcast: 早
Podcast: 早
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AI Study Notes for 早
Quick Contrast
早 (zǎo) vs 早期 (zǎoqī) — use 早 for general 'early' or 'morning', while 早期 specifically refers to an 'early stage' in a process.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 早 with other time-related terms like '晚' (wǎn, meaning 'late'). It’s important to use 早 in the morning context or when referring to something happening soon. Remember to use the correct tone, as a wrong tone can change the meaning entirely.
HSK Study Tips
Although '早' is not listed in the HSK levels, it is a foundational word for beginners. It connects to other time-related vocabulary, such as '现在' (xiàn zài, 'now') and '晚上' (wǎn shàng, 'evening'), making it a useful word for discussing daily routines.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake is using 早 when it should be 早上 (zǎo shàng) for 'morning' greetings. For example, saying '早好' instead of '早上好' is incorrect. Always use the full phrase for greetings.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 早
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Phonosemantic compound. 日 represents the meaning and 棗 represents the sound. The form of the original phonetic component 棗 was abbreviated to look like 十.
Phonosemantic compound. 日 represents the meaning and 棗 represents the sound. The form of the original phonetic component 棗 was abbreviated to look like 十.
1The giveawayThe first rays 十 of the sun 日
2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 早? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 早?
Decomposition of 早
IDS Structure⿱日十
早Full Character
=
日Ri4
top
十shi2
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 早?
How to say early in Chinese
“early” in Chinese is早zǎo
The character 早 (zǎo) primarily means 'early' or 'morning.' It is commonly used to greet someone in the morning with '早上好' (zǎo shàng hǎo), meaning 'Good morning!' Additionally, it can refer to something that happens sooner than expected or something that occurred a long time ago.
When to use 早
Learners often confuse 早 with other time-related terms like '晚' (wǎn, meaning 'late'). It’s important to use 早 in the morning context or when referring to something happening soon. Remember to use the correct tone, as a wrong tone can change the meaning entirely.
早 or something close to it
早 (zǎo) vs 早期 (zǎoqī) — use 早 for general 'early' or 'morning', while 早期 specifically refers to an 'early stage' in a process.
What learners get wrong
A common mistake is using 早 when it should be 早上 (zǎo shàng) for 'morning' greetings. For example, saying '早好' instead of '早上好' is incorrect. Always use the full phrase for greetings.
Write 早
早
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Practice writing 早 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 早
早 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高，not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. It carries 6 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
