早 (zǎo) — early
Definition
At HSK 1, 早 means 'early' (arriving or happening before the expected time). Don't confuse it with 上午 'morning' (a time of day) or 先 'first / before others' (order, not time).
adjective
early
Examples
- 早。Tā lái de zhēn zǎo.He came really early.
- 早。Wǒ zǎo yì diǎn qǐ chuáng.I get up a little early.
- 。Qǐng zǎo diǎn lái xué xiào.Please come to school early.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
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.
Appears in
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