简要回答
early可以用作形容词，意思是早的，初期的，early也可以用作副词，意思是提早地，“as early as”意思是“为早在什么的时候”，“early stage”意思是初期，“early on”意思是开始不久。
early是一个简单又常见的英语单词，用法和搭配短语也是很多的，是一个需要掌握的单词，那么下面我们就来说一说early是什么意思。
详细内容
early
英 [ˈɜːli] 美 [ˈɜːrli]
adj.早期的;初期的;早先的;早到的;提前的;提早的
adv.在早期;在初期;在开始阶段;提早;提前;先前;早些时候;…之前
比较级： earlier
最高级： earliest
派生词： earliness
短语搭配
Early stage 初段 ; 早期 ; 早期阶段 ; 最强初段
early deceleration 早期减速 ; 早减速 ; 减速 ; 包括早期减速
early gene [病毒] 早期基因 ; 前期基因 ; 早期蛋白
Early Rising 早起 ; 别睡懒觉早点起床 ; 早起床 ; 早期上升
Early field 早场
Showers Early 早有阵雨
early diagnosis 早期诊断 ; 初诊断 ; 诊断 ; 早诊断
Early Decision 提前录取 ; 优先申请 ; 早期决定
词语用例
an early bird
(humorous) 早起者；早到者；赶早者；捷足先登者
a person who gets up, arrives, etc. very early
at your earliest convenience
(business 商) 尽早；尽快
as soon as possible
Please telephone at your earliest convenience.
请尽早打电话。
the early bird catches the worm
(saying) 捷足先登；捷足先得
the person who takes the opportunity to do sth before other people will have an advantage over them
it's early days (yet)
(BrE) 为时尚早；言之过早
used to say that it is too soon to be sure how a situation will develop
bright and early
大清早
very early in the morning
You're up bright and early today!
你今天起得很早啊！
the small/early hours
also the wee small hours ScotE, NAmE also the wee hours
午夜刚过的一段时间；凌晨时分
the period of time very early in the morning, soon after midnight
We worked well into the small hours.
我们一直工作到了午夜之后。
The fighting began in the early hours of Saturday morning.
战斗在星期六凌晨打响了。
have an early/a late night
比平时睡得早 / 晚
to go to bed earlier or later than usual
双语例句
You have to be early, not on time.
你应该早点到，不是准点到。
She arrived early to secure a place at the front.
为了能占个靠前的位置，她提早到了。
It's too early to declare his efforts a success.
现在就断言他的努力已经获得成功还为时过早。
The early indications look encouraging.
开初的迹象看起来令人鼓舞。
Inflation could fall back into single figures as early as this month.
通货膨胀率最早有可能在本月就回落至个位数。
The chances of Francis eventually becoming manager of England are perhaps higher. It is early days, of course, and he has yet to win anything.
弗朗西斯最终成为英格兰队主教练的几率可能更高。当然，现在这样说为时尚早，他还没赢过呢。
Why do we have to go to bed so early?
为什么我们那么早就得上床睡觉？
The first snow came a month earlier than usual.
第一场雪比往年提早了一个月。
Earlier reports that troops opened fire are now being denied.
有关军队开火的最初传闻现在遭到了否认。
We went swimming very early
我们很早就去游泳了。
She became a film star as early as 1942.
她早在1942年就成了电影明星了。
