cing1 zou2清早
Jyutpingcing1 zou2
Yalechīng jóu
Definition
Early morning; first thing in the morning.
colloquialtime
How it's used
Focuses on the very beginning of the day, often implying a sense of freshness or the quiet atmosphere before the city wakes up. It carries a slightly more literary or descriptive feel compared to the more common everyday term 朝早. Use it when you want to emphasize the specific timing of an activity happening at the crack of dawn.
Examples
He gets up early in the morning to go for a run.
Why are you calling me so early in the morning?
Related words
Common phrases
get up early in the morning
very early in the morning
Common mistake
Avoid using this as a direct synonym for general morning time. It specifically refers to the early hours, so using it to describe something happening at ten or eleven in the morning sounds unnatural.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- NegationHow to say no, not, didn't, and don't in Cantonese. The four main negation words and when to use each one.
- Numbers and moneyCounting, talking about money, and asking how much things cost. Includes the two words for two and the everyday words for dollars and cents.
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
