Ideographic: The first rays 十 of the sun 日Radical:

meaning for zǎo:

  • - early
  • - morning
  • - Good morning!
  • - long ago
  • - prematurelylong ago
  • - for a long timeearly morning
  • - Classifiers: 个 soon
  • - shortly
  • - on a day quite soon
  • - promptlyearly morning
  • - Classifiers: 个 early period
  • - early phase
  • - early stage

zǎo
dào
le
shífēnzhōng十分钟

I arrived ten minutes before you.


háizi孩子
xūyào需要
zǎo
shuìjiào睡觉

The child needs to go to bed early.


rúguǒ如果
zǎo
wánchéng完成
gōngzuò工作
wǒhuì我会
huíjiā回家

If I finish my work early, I will go home.


jiǎrú假如
méiyǒu没有
jiāotōng交通
yōngdǔ拥堵
wǒmen我们
jīnwǎn今晚
kěyǐ可以
zǎo
yìdiǎn一点
huíjiā回家

We can go home earlier tonight if there is no traffic congestion.