今日の早い時間に
kyō no hayai jikan ni
The Japanese phrase for "earlier today" is 今日の早い時間に (kyō no hayai jikan ni).
今日の早い時間に is used to refer to a time that occurred earlier on the current day, specifically at a point before the present moment. In casual conversation, if you specifically mean "this morning," speakers often use the more specific phrase 今日の朝.
How do you pronounce it?
kyō no hayai jikan ni
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the concept of 'early' in 早い can refer to both a clock time being early in the morning and a speed being fast, creating a double meaning that is context-dependent.
- If you are talking about something that happened earlier today in a business context, you might use the word 先ほど (sakihodo) instead. This single word functions as a sophisticated way to say 'a little while ago' without needing to specify the date.
- Japanese has a specific word, 朝方, which refers to the 'early morning' period specifically when the sun is rising, providing a more poetic alternative to 早い時間.
Examples in context
- さっき、会議が終わりました。Earlier today, the meeting ended.
- 友達とさっきランチに行ったよ。I went for lunch with a friend earlier today.
- 今日の朝、散歩に行ったんだ。I went for a walk this morning.
- けさ、朝ご飯を食べたよ。I had breakfast earlier today/this morning.
- さっき、友達に電話したよ。I called my friend earlier today.
- 今日の朝、犬と一緒に散歩したんだ。I went for a walk with my dog this morning.
- けさ、駅で友達にばったり会ったんだ。I ran into my friend at the train station earlier today/this morning.
Example conversation
Yui and Ren are talking at the office.
- 結衣 Yui蓮さん、今日の早い時間に電話しましたか。Ren-san, kyō no hayai jikan ni denwa shimashita ka.Ren, did you call me earlier today?
- 蓮 Renはい、結衣さんに伝えたいことがありました。Hai, Yui-san ni tsutaetai koto ga arimashita.Yes, there was something I wanted to tell you, Yui.
- 結衣 Yuiすみません、気づきませんでした。Sumimasen, kizukimasen deshita.I'm sorry, I didn't notice it.
- 蓮 Ren大丈夫です。今話しましょう。Daijōbu desu. Ima hanashimashō.That's okay. Let's talk now.
