Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| früh | /fʁyː/ |
| verfrüht | /fɛɐ̯ˈfʁyːt/ |
früh is a straightforward and general translation for 'early'. It can function as an adjective meaning 'arriving at a time before expected' or as an adverb meaning 'at a time before expected'. To say 'too early', you can use the phrase zu früh.
Which one should you use?
While früh is used for 'early' in a general sense, verfrüht is used specifically to describe something that is premature or happening before its natural or intended time, such as a premature death or a premature birth.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The comparative form of früh is früher. When using früh as an adjective to describe a specific time of day, such as 'in the early morning', it often takes an adjective ending like '-en' depending on the case and article used, as seen in the phrase am frühen Morgen.
How do you pronounce it?
/fʁyː/
Did you know?
- The phrase Frühstück for 'breakfast' literally combines früh with Stück, which means 'piece'.
- While früh describes time, the German word frühzeitig is often used in business to mean 'proactive' or 'in good time'.
- The Dutch cognate vroeg sounds remarkably similar to the German früh, illustrating how closely related these West Germanic languages remain in their concept of time.
Examples in context
- Es ist zu früh.It's too early.This sentence is useful for saying 'It's too early.' using früh.Tatoeba #2349604 by Espi, translation #2249321 by CK
- Ist es zu früh?Is it too early?This sentence is useful for asking 'Is it too early?' using früh.Tatoeba #3481886 by Esperantostern, translation #12096585 by shekitten
- Er kam früh an.He arrived early.This sentence is useful for stating 'He arrived early.' using früh.Tatoeba #8859730 by wolfgangth, translation #8480550 by CH
- Er kommt immer sehr frühHe always arrives very early
- Die vorzeitige Ankunft des Zuges überraschte die PassagiereThe early arrival of the train surprised the passengers
- Ich bin zu früh aufgestandenI woke up too early
- Lass uns frühzeitig zum Konzert gehenLet's go to the concert early
- Ich war heute Morgen vor der Zeit in der SchuleI was at school earlier than usual this morning
- Er kam früh zur Arbeit und erledigte seine Aufgaben vorzeitig.He arrived early at work and completed his tasks ahead of time.
- Gestern bin ich zu früh zum Treffen gekommen und musste draußen warten.Yesterday, I arrived too early for the meeting and had to wait outside.
- 1099 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felix and Julia meet at a train station.
- FelixDu bist heute sehr früh hier.You are very early here today.
- JuliaJa, mein Zug hatte keine Verspätung.Yes, my train was not delayed.
- FelixDas ist gut, dann haben wir Zeit.That is good, then we have time.
- JuliaStimmt, wir sind schön früh dran.True, we are nicely early.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “early” translations and entries früh, verfrüht, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries früh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
