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早
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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Translingual
Han character
早 (Kangxi radical 72, 日+2, 6 strokes, cangjie input 日十 (AJ), four-corner 60400, composition ⿱日十)
Derived characters
References
- Kangxi Dictionary: page 489, character 12
- Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 13742
- Dae Jaweon: page 850, character 9
- Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1483, character 6
- Unihan data for U+65E9
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Chinese
Glyph origin
Early bronze inscriptions: Pictogram (象形) – acorn. Original form of 皂 (OC *zuːʔ) through an intermediate variant 皁 (once also written as 草 (cǎo)). Borrowed phonetically for "morning" sense.
Late bronze inscriptions: Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *ʔsuːʔ): semantic 日 (“sun”) + phonetic 棗 (OC *ʔsuːʔ), with 棗 sometimes simplified as 朿.
Small seal script: Ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意): 日 (“sun”) + 甲 (“first”) – when the sun first rises. However, Xu Shen's interpretation is not based on oracle bones and bronzes inscriptions.
In some ancient texts, 蚤 (OC *ʔsuːʔ) was often used instead.
Unrelated to the ancient version of 是: in this character, it doesn't represent an acorn but a spoon.
Etymology
Possible cognate found in Proto-Hmong-Mien *ntsi̯ouˣ (“early”), whence White Hmong ntxov and Iu Mien nziou (Baxter and Sagart, 2014; Schuessler, 2007), and Proto-Tai *ɟaːwꟲ (“early morning”), whence Thai เช้า (cháao) and Lü ᦋᧁᧉ (tsaw²). Note also similarities to Burmese စော (cau:, “early”).
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- (Standard)
- (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): zao3
- (Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): zào
- (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): зо (zo, II)
- Cantonese
- (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): zou2
- (Dongguan, Jyutping++): zou2
- (Taishan, Wiktionary): dau2
- (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): zou2
- Gan (Wiktionary): zau3
- Hakka
- Jin (Wiktionary): zau2
- Northern Min (KCR): cǎu
- Eastern Min (BUC): cā / cō̤
- Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): zor3
- Southern Min
- Southern Pinghua (Nanning, Jyutping++): zaau2
- Wu (Wugniu)
- Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): zau3
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: zǎo
- Zhuyin: ㄗㄠˇ
- Tongyong Pinyin: zǎo
- Wade–Giles: tsao3
- Yale: dzǎu
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tzao
- Palladius: цзао (czao)
- Sinological IPA (key): /t͡sɑʊ̯²¹⁴/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: zóu
- Zhuyin: ㄗㄡˊ
- Tongyong Pinyin: zóu
- Wade–Giles: tsou2
- Yale: dzóu
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tzour
- Palladius: цзоу (czou)
- Sinological IPA (key): /t͡soʊ̯³⁵/
- (Chengdu)
- Sichuanese Pinyin: zao3
- Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: zao
- Sinological IPA (key): /t͡sau⁵³/
- (Xi'an)
- Guanzhong Pinyin: zào
- Sinological IPA (key): /t͡sau⁵³/
- (Dungan)
- Cyrillic and Wiktionary: зо (zo, II)
- Sinological IPA (key): /t͡sɔ⁵¹/
- (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong–Macau)
- Jyutping: zou2
- Yale: jóu
- Cantonese Pinyin: dzou2
- Guangdong Romanization: zou2
- Sinological IPA (key): /t͡sou̯³⁵/
- (Dongguan, Guancheng)
- Jyutping++: zou2
- Sinological IPA (key): /t͡sɔu³⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
- Wiktionary: dau2
- Sinological IPA (key): /tau⁵⁵/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong–Macau)
- Gan
- (Nanchang)
- Wiktionary: zau3
- Sinological IPA (key): /t͡sau²¹³/
- (Nanchang)
- Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
- Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chó
- Hakka Romanization System: zoˋ
- Hagfa Pinyim: zo3
- Sinological IPA: /t͡so³¹/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
- Hakka Romanization System: zoˊ
- Sinological IPA: /t͡so²⁴/
- (Meixian)
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
- Jin
- (Taiyuan)+
- Wiktionary: zau2
- Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡sau⁵³/
- (Taiyuan)+
- Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
- Kienning Colloquial Romanized: cǎu
- Sinological IPA (key): /t͡sau²¹/
- (Jian'ou)
- Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
- Bàng-uâ-cê: cā / cō̤
- Sinological IPA (key): /t͡sa³³/, /t͡so³³/
- (Fuzhou)
Note:
- cā - vernacular;
- cō̤ - literary.
- Puxian Min
- (Putian)
- Pouseng Ping'ing: zor3
- Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: cô̤
- Sinological IPA (key): /t͡sɒ⁴⁵³/
- (Xianyou)
- Pouseng Ping'ing: zor3
- Sinological IPA (key): /t͡sɒ³³²/
- (Putian)
- Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou, General Taiwanese, Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou, General Taiwanese, Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chó͘
- Tâi-lô: tsóo
- Phofsit Daibuun: zor
- IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sɔ⁵⁵⁴/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chó
- Tâi-lô: tsó
- Phofsit Daibuun: zoir
- IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /t͡so⁵³/
- chá - vernacular;
- chái - vernacular (for certain words);
- chó͘/chó - literary.
- za2 - vernacular;
- zao2 - literary.
- Southern Pinghua
- (Nanning Pinghua, Tingzi)
- Jyutping++: zaau2
- Sinological IPA (key): /t͡sau³³/
- (Nanning Pinghua, Tingzi)
- Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
- Wugniu: 5tsau
- MiniDict: tsau去
- Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): 2tsau
- Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡sɔ³⁴/
- (Northern: Jiading, Songjiang, Chongming, Suzhou, Kunshan, Changzhou, Jiaxing, Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Ningbo, Zhoushan)
- Wugniu: 3tsau
- MiniDict: tsau上
- Sinological IPA (Jiading): /t͡sɔ³⁴/
- Sinological IPA (Songjiang): /t͡sɔ⁴⁴/
- Sinological IPA (Chongming): /t͡sɔ⁴²⁴/
- Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /t͡sæ⁵¹/
- Sinological IPA (Kunshan): /t͡sɔ⁵²/
- Sinological IPA (Changzhou): /t͡saɯ⁴⁵/
- Sinological IPA (Jiaxing): /t͡sɔ⁴³³/
- Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /t͡sɔ⁵³/
- Sinological IPA (Shaoxing): /t͡sɒ³³⁵/
- Sinological IPA (Ningbo): /t͡sɔ³²⁵/
- Sinological IPA (Zhoushan): /t͡sɔ³⁵/
- (Jinhua)
- (Northern: Shanghai)
- Xiang
- (Changsha)
- Wiktionary: zau3
- Sinological IPA (key): /t͡sɒu̯⁴¹/
- (Changsha)
Note:
Note:
- Middle Chinese: tsawX
- Old Chinese
- (Baxter–Sagart): /*Nə.tsˤuʔ/
- (Zhengzhang): /*ʔsuːʔ/
Definitions
早
- early; in advance; soon
- long ago; for a long time
- (early) morning
- good morning
- before; in the past time
- short for 早上 (zǎoshang); a.m.
- 早八 ― zǎo bā ― 8:00 a.m.
- (Hainanese) breakfast
- a surname
Synonyms
Compounds
- 一大早 (yīdàzǎo)
- 一早 (yīzǎo)
- 一早起
- 一早起了
- 一黑早
- 不早 (bùzǎo)
- 不早不晚
- 侵早
- 倒屎咁早 (dou2 si2 gam3 zou2) (Cantonese)
- 儘早 / 尽早
- 冗早 (liōng-chá) (Min Nan)
- 𠢕早 (gâu-chá)
- 半早
- 即早兒 / 即早儿
- 又早
- 及早 (jízǎo)
- 可早
- 古早 (gǔzǎo)
- 多早晚
- 大早
- 大清早 (dàqīngzǎo)
- 大清早上
- 大清早起
- 好早晚
- 屍骨早寒 / 尸骨早寒
- 打早 (dǎzǎo)
- 拜早年 (bàizǎonián)
- 提早 (tízǎo)
- 早上 (zǎoshang)
- 早來 / 早来 (zǎolái)
- 早先 (zǎoxiān)
- 早出晚歸 / 早出晚归 (zǎochūwǎnguī)
- 早前 (zǎoqián)
- 早則 / 早则
- 早占勿藥
- 早參 / 早参
- 早名必折
- 早場 / 早场 (zǎochǎng)
- 早報 / 早报 (zǎobào)
- 早夭
- 早婚 (zǎohūn)
- 早季
- 早安 (zǎo'ān)
- 早尖
- 早就 (zǎojiù)
- 早已 (zǎoyǐ)
- 早年 (zǎonián)
- 早慧 (zǎohuì)
- 早操 (zǎocāo)
- 早放囝
- 早日 (zǎorì)
- 早早 (zǎozǎo)
- 早是
- 早春 (zǎochūn)
- 早時 / 早时
- 早晏
- 早晌
- 早晚 (zǎowǎn)
- 早晝 / 早昼
- 早晨
- 早暝
- 早期 (zǎoqī)
- 早朝
- 早材
- 早死 (zǎosǐ)
- 早水
- 早熟 (zǎoshú)
- 早熟兒童 / 早熟儿童
- 早班 (zǎobān)
- 早生貴子 / 早生贵子 (zǎoshēngguìzǐ)
- 早產 / 早产 (zǎochǎn)
- 早產兒 / 早产儿 (zǎochǎn'ér)
- 早田 (Zǎotián)
- 早秫
- 早稻 (zǎodào)
- 早粟
- 早膳
- 早茶 (zǎochá)
- 早草
- 早落
- 早衙
- 早衰 (zǎoshuāi)
- 早課 / 早课
- 早賜玉音 / 早赐玉音
- 早起 (zǎoqǐ)
- 早退 (zǎotuì)
- 早迷晚寤
- 早逝 (zǎoshì)
- 早遲 / 早迟
- 早難道 / 早难道
- 早霜
- 早霞 (zǎoxiá)
- 早頓 / 早顿 (chá-tǹg)
- 早飯 / 早饭 (zǎofàn)
- 早餐 (zǎocān)
- 早餐會 / 早餐会
- 早麻
- 早點 / 早点
- 早點兒 / 早点儿 (zǎo diǎnr)
- 早齋 / 早斋 (chá-chai) (Min Nan)
- 明早 (míngzǎo)
- 次早 (cìzǎo)
- 清早 (qīngzǎo)
- 絕早 / 绝早 (juézǎo)
- 老早 (lǎozǎo)
- 言之過早 / 言之过早 (yánzhīguòzǎo)
- 起早 (qǐzǎo)
- 起早貪黑 / 起早贪黑 (qǐzǎomōhēi)
- 趁早 (chènzǎo)
- 趕早 / 赶早 (gǎnzǎo)
- 透早 (thàu-chá)
- 這早晚 / 这早晚 (zhè zǎowǎn)
- 遛早兒 / 遛早儿
- 遲早 / 迟早 (chízǎo)
- 遲行早住 / 迟行早住
- 還早 / 还早
- 黑早
References
- “早”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database), 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
- “早”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.
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