早 (zǎo), meaning "early" or "morning," combines the sun (日) with what was originally a stylized representation of a seed sprouting upward, capturing the idea of the sun rising early in the day. The simplified form preserves this ancient composition, where the top element suggests the first light breaking through while the bottom suggests growth reaching toward that light. In daily use, 早 appears in greetings like 早上好 (good morning), in the word 早退 (leaving early), and in the concept of 早日 (soon/hopefully soon), always evoking that sense of beginning and promptness that has defined it since classical times.
