早い
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Base i-adjective form ending in 『い』. Describes something happening before the expected or usual time.
Theme
Two colleagues, Ken and User, are discussing their morning commute to the office in Tokyo.
早い
はやい
early
Core Language Building BlocksCore Adjectives
Memory Hook
Imagine waking up early in the morning and seeing the sun rise. You say, 『早い！』 (hayai, 'early') — 'Hay-ai!' sounds like 'hey, I'm early!'
Cultural Note
In Japan, punctuality is highly valued. Arriving 『早い』 (hayai, 'early') for appointments or work is seen as respectful, while being late can be considered rude.
Forms
Base: 早いBase i-adjective form ending in 『い』. Describes something happening before the expected or usual time.
Negative: 早くないDrop 『い』 → add 『くない』 (kunai, negative) → 『早くない』 (hayakunai).
Past: 早かったDrop 『い』 → add 『かった』 (katta, past) → 『早かった』 (hayakatta).
Adverbial: 早くDrop 『い』 → add 『く』 (ku, adverbial) → 『早く』 (hayaku). Used to modify verbs, e.g., 『早く起きる』 (hayaku okiru, 'wake up early').
Comparative: より早いComparative formed with modifier 『より』 (yori, 'more than') + base adjective.
Superlative: 一番早いSuperlative formed with 『一番』 (ichiban, 'number one / Most') + adjective.