zǎo

early

HSK 1 6 strokes
Stroke order animation for 早

Words with this Character

Meaning and Usage

The character (zǎo) primarily means "early" or "morning." It is commonly used to describe time-related contexts such as waking up early, arriving early, or doing something earlier than usual.

Common Collocations

  • 早上 (zǎoshang): morning
  • (zǎodiǎn): earlier, a bit earlier
  • (zǎoqǐ): to get up early

Usage Notes

When used alone, often refers to the early part of the day or an early time. It can also be used in greetings like (zǎo ān) meaning "good morning." In conversation, can emphasize promptness or timeliness.

Common Confusions

Don't confuse with (wǎn), which means "late." Also, is an adjective or adverb, not a verb, so it cannot stand alone as "to be early" without a verb like (qǐ) or (lái).

Example Sentences

我今天早上六点起床。

Wǒ jīntiān zǎoshang liù diǎn qǐchuáng.

I got up at six o'clock this morning.

你来得真早!

Nǐ lái de zhēn zǎo!

You came really early!

早点睡觉对身体好。

Zǎodiǎn shuìjiào duì shēntǐ hǎo.

Going to bed earlier is good for your health.