early

adj.

1. 早期的；初期的；早先的
   near the beginning of a period of time, an event etc.
   1. the early morning
      清晨
   2. my earliest memories
      我最早的记忆
   3. The project is still in the early stages.
      这个项目仍处于初期阶段。
   4. the early 1990s
      20世纪90年代初
   5. in the early days of space exploration (= when it was just beginning)
      在太空探索初期
   6. The earliest possible date I can make it is the third.
      我最早也要到三号才能赶到。
   7. He's in his early twenties.
      他二十出头。
   8. Mozart's early works (= those written at the beginning of his career)
      莫扎特的早期作品
   9. Early booking is essential, as space is limited.
      座位有限，务必早日预订。
2. 早到的；提前的；提早的
   arriving, or done before the usual, expected or planned time
   1. You're early! I wasn't expecting you till seven.
      你来得真早！我还以为你七点钟才到呢。
   2. The bus was ten minutes early.
      公共汽车早到了十分钟。
   3. an early breakfast
      很早的早餐
   4. Let's make an early start tomorrow.
      咱们明天一早就出发吧。
   5. She's an early riser (= she gets up early in the morning) .
      她是个习惯于早起的人。
   6. He learnt to play the piano at an early age .
      他早年就学会了弹钢琴。
   7. early potatoes (= that are ready to eat at the beginning of the season)
      早下来的土豆

adv.

1. 在早期；在初期；在开始阶段
   near the beginning of a period of time, an event, a piece of work, etc.
   1. early in the week/year/season/morning
      一周开始时；年初；季度初；一大早
   2. The best rooms go to those who book earliest.
      最早预订者可得最好的房间。
   3. We arrived early the next day.
      我们第二天很早就到达了。
   4. He started writing music as early as 1989.
      他早在1989年就开始作曲了。
2. 提早；提前
   before the usual, expected or planned time
   1. The bus came five minutes early.
      公共汽车早到了五分钟。
   2. I woke up early this morning.
      我今天早上醒得早。
   3. The baby arrived earlier than expected.
      婴儿早产了。
3. 先前；早些时候；…之前
   before the present time or the time mentioned
   1. As I mentioned earlier…
      正如我先前所提到的…
   2. a week earlier
      一周前
   3. She had seen him earlier in the day.
      她在那天早些时候见到过他。

1. ADV-GRADED （指在通常的时间之前）早,提早,提前
   Early means before the usual time that a particular event or activity happens.
   1. I knew I had to get up early...
      我知道我得早起。
   2. Why do we have to go to bed so early?
      为什么我们那么早就得上床睡觉？
   3. Early is also an adjective.
      
   4. I decided that I was going to take early retirement...
      我决定提前退休。
   5. I planned an early night.
      我打算早点睡。
2. ADJ-GRADED 早期的;初期的
   Early means near the beginning of a day, week, year, or other period of time.
   1. ...in the 1970s and the early 1980s.
      在20世纪70年代以及80年代早期
   2. ...a few weeks in early summer...
      初夏的几个星期
   3. She was in her early teens.
      她正值豆蔻年华。
   4. ...the early hours of Saturday morning.
      星期六一大早
   5. Early is also an adverb.
      
   6. We'll hope to see you some time early next week.
      我们希望下周初能见到你。
   7. ...early in the season.
      季节之初
3. ADV-GRADED （指在原定或预计的时间之前）早，提早,提前
   Early means before the time that was arranged or expected.
   1. She arrived early to secure a place at the front...
      为了能占个靠前的位置，她提早到了。
   2. The first snow came a month earlier than usual.
      第一场雪比往年提早了一个月。
   3. Early is also an adjective.
      
   4. I'm always early.
      我总是早到。
4. ADJ-GRADED （历史时期或事物存续期）早期的,初期的
   Early means near the beginning of a period in history, or in the history of something such as the world, a society, or an activity.
   1. ...the early stages of pregnancy.
      怀孕初期
   2. ...Fassbinder's early films...
      法斯宾德的早期影片
   3. ...the early days of the occupation...
      占领初期
   4. It's too early to declare his efforts a success.
      现在就断言他的努力已经获得成功还为时过早。
5. ADJ-GRADED （作品、过程等）开始阶段的
   Early means near the beginning of something such as a piece of work or a process.
   1. ...the book's early chapters.
      书的开头几章
   2. Early is also an adverb.
      
   3. ...an incident which occurred much earlier in the game.
      比赛刚开始时发生的一件事
6. ADJ-GRADED （植物）早开花的，早熟的
   Early refers to plants which flower or crop before or at the beginning of the main season.
   1. ...these early cabbages and cauliflowers.
      这些早熟卷心菜和花椰菜
   2. Early is also an adverb.
      
   3. ...early flowering shrubs.
      早花灌木
7. ADJ-GRADED （传闻、迹象等）最早的，最初的
   Early reports or indications of something are the first reports or indications about it.
   1. The early indications look encouraging...
      开初的迹象看起来令人鼓舞。
   2. Earlier reports that troops opened fire are now being denied.
      有关军队开火的最初传闻现在遭到了否认。
8. PHRASE 早在
   You can use as early as to emphasize that a particular time or period is surprisingly early.
   1. Inflation could fall back into single figures as early as this month.
      通货膨胀率最早有可能在本月就回落至个位数。
   2. ...as early as 1838.
      早在1838年
9. PHRASE 言之过早；为时尚早
   If you say about something that might be true that it is early days, you mean that it is too soon for you to be completely sure about it.
   1. The chances of Francis eventually becoming manager of England are perhaps higher. It is early days, of course, and he has yet to win anything.
      弗朗西斯最终成为英格兰队主教练的几率可能更高。当然，现在这样说为时尚早，他还没赢过呢。

1. He's awaiting trial, which is expected to begin early next year.
   他在等候审判，预计明年初开始。
2. For most of the spring and early summer her base was her home in Scotland.
   春天和初夏的大部分时间，她都是在苏格兰的家里度过的。
3. I spent a lot of time in the early Eighties travelling between London and Bradford.
   八十年代初，我有很多时间穿梭于伦敦和布拉德福德之间。
4. We are all conditioned by early impressions and experiences
   我们都受到早年印象和经历的影响。
5. The announcement dashed hopes of an early end to the crisis
   这一宣告使得人们期盼危机早日结束的希望落了空。
6. Early one Thursday morning in the dead of winter I awoke to a blizzard.
   隆冬时节的一个星期四，一大早醒来我就发现外面刮起了暴风雪。
7. I knew I had to get up early
   我知道我得早起。
8. Why do we have to go to bed so early?
   为什么我们那么早就得上床睡觉？
9. She was in her early teens.
   她正值豆蔻年华。
10. She arrived early to secure a place at the front
    为了能占个靠前的位置，她提早到了。
11. The first snow came a month earlier than usual.
    第一场雪比往年提早了一个月。
12. It's too early to declare his efforts a success.
    现在就断言他的努力已经获得成功还为时过早。
13. The early indications look encouraging
    开初的迹象看起来令人鼓舞。
14. Earlier reports that troops opened fire are now being denied.
    有关军队开火的最初传闻现在遭到了否认。
15. Inflation could fall back into single figures as early as this month.
    通货膨胀率最早有可能在本月就回落至个位数。
16. The chances of Francis eventually becoming manager of England are perhaps higher. It is early days, of course, and he has yet to win anything.
    弗朗西斯最终成为英格兰队主教练的几率可能更高。当然，现在这样说为时尚早，他还没赢过呢。
17. He made the fatal mistake of compromising early
    他犯了过早妥协的致命错误。
18. They have to get up early in the morning.
    他们大清早就得起床。
19. We went swimming very early
    我们很早就去游泳了。
20. He may be able to leave hospital early next week.
    他下周初也许就可以出院了。
21. The study further strengthens the evidence linking smoking with early death
    这项研究进一步证实了吸烟与早逝之间的联系。
22. Early symptoms include anorexia, muscular weakness and fatigue.
    早期症状有厌食、肌无力和疲劳。
23. Every morning she got up early with the children and the nurse.
    每天早晨，她和孩子、保姆一起早早起床。
24. I really intended to pen this letter to you early this morning
    我真的打算今天一大早给你写这封信的。
25. Many stores have started their January sales a month early.
    许多商店提前一个月就开始了一月份的特价促销活动。
26. She became a film star as early as 1942.
    她早在1942年就成了电影名星了。
27. The enemy opened fire on our lines at early dawn.
    拂晓时敌人向我阵线开了火。
28. He was a peasant in his early years.
    他早年是个农民。
29. The opportunity came early one morning.
    一天清晨机遇来了。
30. We have the rains in early summer.
    我们这儿的雨季在初夏。

adj.

an early bird

• 早起者；早到者；赶早者；捷足先登者
  a person who gets up, arrives, etc. very early

at your earliest convenience

• 尽早；尽快
  as soon as possible
  1. Please telephone at your earliest convenience.
     请尽早打电话。

the early bird catches the worm

• 捷足先登；捷足先得
  the person who takes the opportunity to do sth before other people will have an advantage over them

it's early days (yet)

• 为时尚早；言之过早
  used to say that it is too soon to be sure how a situation will develop

bright and early

• 大清早
  very early in the morning
  1. You're up bright and early today!
     你今天起得很早啊！

the small/early hours

• 午夜刚过的一段时间；凌晨时分
  the period of time very early in the morning, soon after midnight
  1. We worked well into the small hours.
     我们一直工作到了午夜之后。
  2. The fighting began in the early hours of Saturday morning.
     战斗在星期六凌晨打响了。

have an early/a late night

• 比平时睡得早 / 晚
  to go to bed earlier or later than usual
  1. I've had a lot of late nights recently.
     最近我常常睡得很晚。

adv.

early on

• 在初期；在开始阶段；早先
  at an early stage of a situation, relationship, period of time, etc.
  1. I knew quite early on that I wanted to marry her.
     我老早就知道我想娶她。

adj

1. at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
   1. early morning
   2. an early warning
   3. early diagnosis
   4. an early death
   5. took early retirement
   6. an early spring
   7. early varieties of peas and tomatoes mature before most standard varieties

2. being or occurring at an early stage of development
   1. in an early stage
   2. early forms of life
   3. early man
   4. an early computer

3. of an early stage in the development of a language or literature
   1. the Early Hebrew alphabetical script is that used mainly from the 11th to the 6th centuries B.C.
   2. Early Modern English is represented in documents printed from 1476 to 1700

4. very young
   1. at an early age

5. expected in the near future
   1. look for an early end to the negotiations

adv

1. before the usual time or the time expected
   1. she graduated early
   2. the house was completed ahead of time

   Synonym:    ahead of timetoo soon

2. in good time
   1. he awoke betimes that morning

   Synonym:    betimes

3. during an early stage
   1. early on in her career

   Synonym:    early on