早期 (zǎo qī) — early period, early stage | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Refers to the 'early stage' of a process, period, or career — e.g. early paintings, early research. Compared to 时期 (a more neutral 'period'), 早期 carries a stronger sense of being near the beginning.

noun

early periodearly stage

Examples

早期。
Zhè zhǒng jì shù hái zài zǎo qī jiē duàn.
This technology is still in the early stage.
早期。
zǎo qī De yán jiū hěn zhòng yào.
Early research is very important.
早期。
Tā zǎo qī de huà hěn yǒu yì si.
His early paintings are very interesting.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

期qīperiod

早 means early and 期 means period, so the pair refers to an early stage.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

日日rìsun

Sound part声符shēngfú

棗

棗zǎo早zǎo

Same sound today

The form 早 pairs 日 (sun) with 棗, which gives the sound; an earlier shape of 早 was a picture of an acorn.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

其

其qí期qī

Same sound today

The original form paired 其 for its sound with 日 (sun). A related form changed that sun to 月, and this later developed into 期.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 5 Time (Abstract)

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