How to say 'Early' in Japanese | 早め

word

Meaning

Early

Reading

Kanji

早Early, Fast

Explanation

The Japanese adjectival noun '早め (はやめ)' means 'early' or 'ahead of time'. It is used to indicate that something is done earlier than the usual or expected time. This word is often used to suggest doing something in advance or preparing ahead. For example: Let's leave early「早めに出発しましょう」(はやめにしゅっぱつしましょう). I ate dinner early「早めに夕食を食べた」(はやめにゆうしょくをたべた). The nuance here is that the action is performed with a sense of being proactive or cautious, rather than waiting until the last moment.

Part Of Speech

adjectival noun

Kanji JLPT

Kanji Grade

Frequency

6152

Composition

kanji-hiragana

Handwriting