早 (zǎo)

Etymology

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.

Shuowen Jiezi

《說文》：“早，晨也。从日在甲上。”

Components

• 日 (meaning)
• 棗 (sound)

Example sentences

1. 早上好！ — Good morning!
2. 尽早做。 — Do it as soon as possible.
3. 太早了。 — It is so early.
4. 早上好。 — Good morning.
5. 这么早？！ — Already?!

View all 50 example sentences for 早 →