及早

• Pinyin: jí zǎo
• Hanzi breakdown: 及 = 又 + 人 (catch up in time); 早 = 日 + 十 (sun above the horizon — early)

Meaning

At the earliest opportunity; as soon as possible; without delay. Emphasises acting before it is too late.

Advises prompt action to prevent future problems or seize an opportunity. Common in medical advice (及早治疗), business (及早布局), and policy (及早应对). Stronger than 尽早 in implying urgency and the risk of missing a window of opportunity.

Examples

1. 医生叮嘱患者及早进行手术，否则病情恶化将大大增加治疗难度和风险。 The doctor urged the patient to have surgery as early as possible; otherwise, if the condition worsens, the difficulty and risks of treatment will increase significantly.
2. 公司管理层意识到市场变化的信号后，决定及早调整产品策略，以保持竞争优势。 After recognizing signs of changes in the market, the company’s management decided to adjust its product strategy early to maintain its competitive edge.
3. 父母应及早与子女建立良好的沟通习惯，避免青春期出现难以弥合的代际隔阂。 Parents should build good communication habits with their children early to avoid an intergenerational gap during adolescence that’s difficult to bridge.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, business, advice

Tone: urgent

Do Say

• 专家建议有慢性病家族史的人群及早进行基因筛查，以便在疾病发生前采取有效的预防措施。(Experts recommend that people with a family history of chronic disease undergo genetic screening at the earliest opportunity so that effective preventive measures can be taken before the disease occurs.)
• 企业应及早识别潜在的供应链风险，提前制定应急预案，以减少突发事件对正常生产运营的冲击。(Enterprises should identify potential supply chain risks as early as possible and formulate contingency plans in advance to reduce the impact of emergencies on normal production and operations.)

Don't Say

• 及早就好了 — use 早点就好了 or 早一点就好了 in conversational regret; 及早 is for forward-looking advice, not retrospective wishes

Origin & History

及 (reach/in time) + 早 (early)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal