About
早 is a phonosemantic compound: 日 gives the meaning of sun and morning, while the sound comes from 棗, a character that was later simplified to the visually similar 十. Originally denoting the early part of the day, the meaning naturally broadened to signify earliness in general, being ahead of schedule, acting prematurely, or occurring before an expected time. This allows 早 to function as a noun for morning, as well as an adjective or adverb conveying anything from "early" to "prior".
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
大家早上好！
早餐准备好了。
他早起床了。
为了健康，我早睡。
早上的空气很新鲜，我喜欢散步。
早睡比晚睡更好。
如果你早到，我们可以多聊一会儿。
尽管他昨晚睡得很晚，但今天早上他仍然早起去上班。
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