早 (zǎo): The Chinese Character for early
early
早 means “early” in Chinese. It is pronounced zǎo. Listen to the sound above, then learn an everyday use below.
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How to write 早
Stroke order
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One way to use 早.
早 (zǎo) means early. In 早上 (zǎo shang), it helps describe morning. 早 describes being early. In 早上, 上 is neutral shang in the pronunciation selected here. Example sentence: 我早上买面包。 Wǒ zǎo shang mǎi miàn bāo. — I buy bread in the morning.
Remember 早 Through a Story: Before the First Loaf
1 min illustrated story · A fictional memory aid for 早
Alex left home early with a cloth bread bag folded in his pocket. The street was still pale and cool. He wanted a fresh loaf before his morning meeting, and he liked walking while the pavements were almost empty.
At the bakery, the front door was locked. Through the window he saw the owner carrying a tray toward the counter. She had clearly started work much earlier than he had. Alex stepped back so she could reach the door.
She turned the key but pointed to the empty cooling rack. The bread needed a few more minutes. Alex nodded and waited outside, watching sunlight reach the windows across the road while she arranged the first warm loaves.
When she waved him in, his bag was ready. He chose a loaf and held it carefully through the cloth. He still had plenty of time for his meeting. Being early had given him a quiet walk and a warm breakfast.
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