Japanese word

早期

Pronunciation

Romajisōki

Meaning

  • nounearly stage

Example

病気は早期に見つけることが大切です。byō ki wa sō ki ni mi tsu ke ru ko to ga tai setsu de su

It is important to find an illness at an early stage.

Illustration for 早期 (early stage)

More examples

症状が軽いうちに早期に受診することが大切です。shō jō ga karu i u chi ni sō ki ni ju shin su ru ko to ga tai setsu de su

It is important to see a doctor at an early stage, while the symptoms are mild.

Core concept

Marks a point near the beginning of a process, when action or discovery happens before much progress has occurred.

Common phrases

  • 早期発見sō ki hak ken

    early detection

  • 早期治療sō ki chi ryō

    early treatment

  • 早期対応sō ki tai ō

    early response

Similar words

初期shoki: The beginning period of a process, development, or condition.
序盤joban: The early part of an event, activity, or process, before its main developments.
初頭shotō: The beginning part of a stated period, such as a year, century, or era.

Definition in Japanese

物事の始まりに近い段階。mono goto no haji ma ri ni chika i dan kai

Word origin

Combines 早 (sō, "early") and 期 (ki, "period or stage") to mean an early period in a process.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, 早期 (sōki) appears in compounds such as 早期解決 (sōki kaiketsu), which describes resolving a problem before it develops further.

Opposites

Word lists with this word