zou2 kei4早期
Jyutpingzou2 kei4
Yalejóu kèih
Definition
Early stage; initial phase.
neutraltime
How it's used
Refers specifically to the initial period or phase of a process, project, or historical era. It is often used to contrast with later developments or outcomes. While it functions as a noun, it frequently acts as an attributive modifier before other nouns to specify the timeframe.
Examples
This project was very difficult to handle in the early stages.
Did you live in this area in the early days?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe the early time of day, such as early morning, which is better expressed as 朝早 or 清早.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
