01
früh
early
At the beginning of the day, shortly after sunrise or after getting up.
example
Wir müssen morgen früh losfahren, um den Stau zu vermeiden.
We have to leave early tomorrow to avoid the traffic jam.
früh
early
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Adjective or adverb
'Früh' (early) can stand before a noun as an adjective and is then declined. It can also describe a verb as an adverb and then remains unchanged.
EXAMPLE
Der frühe Zug um sechs Uhr war schon voll.
The early train at six o'clock was already full.
The phrase 'heute früh'
The combination 'heute früh' (early today / this morning) is a very common time expression and means 'heute Morgen' (this morning). It is used to talk about events in the morning of the current day.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe heute früh schon eine E-Mail von dir bekommen.
I already got an email from you this morning.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'früher oder später' (sooner or later) means that something will inevitably happen at some point in the future. It expresses certainty.
EXAMPLE
Früher oder später kommt die Wahrheit immer ans Licht.
Sooner or later, the truth always comes to light.
Use with 'zu'
In combination with 'zu' (too), 'zu früh' (too early) expresses that something happens before the right or planned time. This often has a negative or undesirable meaning.
EXAMPLE
Es ist noch zu früh, um eine endgültige Entscheidung zu treffen.
It is still too early to make a final decision.
Compare with
früh vs spät
late
'spät' and 'früh' both describe points in time, but they point in opposite directions. 'spät' means a point in time after the normal or agreed time, or an advanced part of a period of time. 'früh' means the beginning of a day or period, or a time before what is expected. For appointments, 'früh' often means before the agreed time; 'spät' means after the agreed time. For times of day, 'früh' is more likely to mean in the morning, while 'spät' is more likely to mean in the evening or at night.
früh
Ali beginnt früh mit dem Lernen, weil er am Wochenende frei haben möchte.
Ali starts studying early because he wants to have the weekend free.
spät
Yara kommt in der Pause zu spät zum Termin.
Yara arrives late for the appointment during the break.
In real life
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