early
gb/ˈɚli/ us/ˈɚli/
A1
English
~ 500
korai, korán, korábban, kezdeti, korai stádiumú
A1
1
korai
A2
Usage pattern:
[something] is early
We caught an early train to the city.
Egy korai vonattal mentünk be a városba.
She made an early decision to accept the job.
Korán döntött úgy, hogy elfogadja az állást.
The project finished two weeks early.
Learner examples
I got to the meeting early.
Korán értem oda a megbeszélésre.
He woke up early today.
Ma korán ébredt.
The bus came early this morning.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'early' with 'soon'. 'Early' refers to before an expected or scheduled time, while 'soon' means in a short time from now.
Meaning
Happening sooner than usual
Collocations
early morning
|early start
|early arrival
|early stages
|early signs
Synonyms
premature (Implies too soon, often in a negative or problematic sense.)
Antonyms
late (Happening after the expected or usual time.)
Themes
daily life
|time
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Happening before the normal or planned time.
Occurring or done before the usual, expected, or planned time.
A1
2
Usage pattern:
arrive/finish/start early
I arrived early to get a good seat.
Korán érkeztem, hogy jó helyet szerezzek.
The meeting ended early because everyone agreed.
A megbeszélés korábban véget ért, mert mindenki egyetértett.
Try to leave work early today.
Learner examples
I came to class early.
Korán jöttem az órára.
She finished her lunch early.
Korábban befejezte az ebédjét.
We left the party early.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'before' instead of 'early' when talking about arrival times. 'Before' needs a reference point (e.g., before 8 o’clock), while 'early' does not.
Meaning
Before the expected time
Collocations
arrive early
|finish early
|leave early
Synonyms
prematurely (Formally means before the proper or expected time.)
Antonyms
late (After the expected or usual time.)
Themes
daily life
|time
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Before the normal or planned time.
Before the usual, expected, or planned time.
A2
3
Usage pattern:
the early [period/stage/phase]
He showed great talent in his early years.
Már fiatal korában megmutatkozott a nagy tehetsége.
The company struggled in its early days.
A vállalat a kezdeti időkben nehézségekkel küzdött.
This painting is from Picasso’s early period.
Learner examples
I met her in my early school years.
Az iskolás éveim elején ismertem meg.
The movie was boring in the early part.
A film eleje unalmas volt.
He worked hard in the early days of his job.
Meaning
Near start of period
Collocations
early years
|early stages
|early days
Synonyms
initial (Refers to the very first stages of something.)
Antonyms
late-stage (Refers to the end part of a process or period.)
Themes
time
|history
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Happening near the start of a time or event.
Occurring near the beginning of a period of time, process, or development.
B1
4
kezdeti
B1
Usage pattern:
in the early [development/stages] of [something]
Doctors detected the disease at an early stage.
Az orvosok korai stádiumban észlelték a betegséget.
The technology is still in its early development.
A technológia még a fejlesztés kezdeti szakaszában van.
We need to address problems in their early phases.
Learner examples
The baby is in an early stage of walking.
A baba még a járás kezdeti szakaszában van.
They found cancer at an early stage.
A rákot korai stádiumban fedezték fel.
This idea is still in an early step.
Meaning
Initial stage of development
Collocations
early development
|early symptoms
|early signs
Synonyms
incipient (Formal term for beginning to exist or become apparent.)
Antonyms
advanced (At a later or more developed stage.)
Themes
science
|time
|core_vocabulary
Definition
At the first stage of growth or progress.
At or belonging to an initial stage in growth, progress, or development.
Grammar
Dictionary form
early
IPA
GB/ˈɚli/
US/ˈɚli/
Syllables & stress
early (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (early)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: early
- Comparative: earlier
- Superlative: earliest
Word family
Expressions
at the earliest opportunity
1/ˈæt ðə ˈɚliɪst ˌɑpɚtˈunɪti/
fixed phrase
As soon as possible after event
As soon as you can after something happens.
Examples
- Please reply at the earliest opportunity.
- We will contact you at the earliest opportunity.
early on
1/ˈɚli ˈɔn/
fixed phrase
At an initial stage/time
At the beginning of something.
Examples
- We realized early on that this would be difficult.
- She showed talent early on in her career.
in the early days
1/ˈɪn ðə ˈɚli dˈeɪz/
fixed phrase
During first period of existence/development
In the first period of something’s life or growth.
Examples
- In the early days of the internet, few people had email.
- The company faced many challenges in the early days.
bright and early
1/bɹˈaɪt ˈænd ˈɚli/
idiom
very early in the morning
Happening early in the morning, usually with energy or readiness.
Examples
- We’ll leave bright and early tomorrow morning.
- She arrived at the office bright and early to prepare for the meeting.
bright and early
2/bɹˈaɪt ˈænd ˈɚli/
idiom
informal
Very early in morning
Very early in the morning.
Examples
- We set off bright and early to beat the traffic.
- He likes to get up bright and early for a run.