Onyomi: サッ, ソウ · Kunyomi: さ-, はや, はや-, はや.い, はや.まる, はや.める · Meanings: early, fast
Kanji for early, fast
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The kanji 早 depicts the sun (日) rising above a line, symbolizing the start of a new day. In ancient times, it represented early in the morning or something happening quickly. 早 came to mean early, fast, or prompt, capturing the idea of beginning, speed, and timeliness.
The sun rising above the horizon — 早 means early or fast, the start of a new day.
Imagine the sun rising early in the morning — that’s 早, the kanji for early or quick.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 早 | はや | already, now, by this time | common Adverb (fukushi) |
| 早よ | はよ | early, quickly, soon | Adverb (fukushi) |
| 早い | はやい | fast, quick, rapid, swift, speedy, brisk, prompt | common JLPT-N5 I-adjective (keiyoushi) |
| 早口 | はやくち | fast-talking, rapid talking | common JLPT-N2 Noun, Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no' |
| 早速 | さっそく | at once, immediately, without delay, promptly | common JLPT-N2 Adverb (fukushi) |
| 早める | はやめる | to bring forward (e.g. by 3 hours), to advance, to hasten (e.g. one's death), to expedite, to precipitate | common JLPT-N1 Ichidan verb, Transitive verb |
| 速さ | はやさ | speed, velocity, quickness, rapidity | common Noun |
| 早産 | そうざん | premature birth | Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb, Intransitive verb, Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no' |
| 早急 | そうきゅう | immediate, prompt, quick, rapid, urgent, pressing | common JLPT-N1 Na-adjective (keiyodoshi), Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', Noun |
| 早朝 | そうちょう | early morning | common Noun, Adverb (fukushi) |