早 means “early”

はやい · hayai

Also: fast

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

はやい, はや, はやまる, はやめる, さ-

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ソウ, サッ

JLPT N4 · Taught in grade 1 · 6 strokes

The story

The sun rises above the horizon with a single determined stroke. First light belongs to those who rise early.

Also means "fast"; used in 早朝 (souchou, early morning)

More from Seasons & Time

• 先 ahead
• 夜 night
• 長 long
• 明 bright
• 春 spring
• 秋 autumn
• 昼 noon
• 夏 summer
• 時 time
• 週 week
• 朝 morning
• 新 new

Learn 早 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.