大清早

dàqīngzǎo

noun #18,857

Meanings

1 early in the morning
2 first thing in the morning
3 at the crack of dawn

Characters

Literally 'big clear early' — emphasizing just how early in the morning.

Examples

他大清早就出门了。

Tā dàqīngzǎo jiù chūmén le.

He went out first thing in the morning.

大清早的，你跑来干什么？

Dàqīngzǎo de, nǐ pǎolái gàn shénme?

So early in the morning, what did you come running here for?

Tips

register

大清早 is colloquial and often carries a tone of surprise or mild complaint about how early something is happening. More neutral alternatives include 一大早 or 清晨.

Stroke Order

大 dà

清 qīng

早 zǎo