早急

• Reading: そうきゅう
• Romaji: soukyuu
• Kanji breakdown: 早 (sou/sa) — early, fast; 急 (kyuu) — urgent, sudden
• Pronunciation: /soː.kjɯː/

Meaning

Urgent; prompt; immediate. Requiring swift action without delay.

A な-adjective (also used adverbially as 早急に) meaning urgent or requiring immediate attention. Has two accepted readings: そうきゅう (more common in modern usage) and さっきゅう (traditional reading). Frequently used in business communications and formal requests. The phrase 早急に対応する (to deal with promptly) is extremely common.

Examples

1. この問題には早急な対応が求められる。 This issue requires an urgent response.
2. 早急に修正して再提出してください。 Please correct it promptly and resubmit.
3. お客様からのクレームには早急に対処すべきだ。 Customer complaints should be addressed immediately.

Usage Guide

Context: business, customer service, formal requests

Tone: urgent

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 早急. 早 (sou) means early or fast, and 急 (kyuu) means urgent or sudden. Together they strongly emphasise speed and urgency. The older reading さっきゅう preserves an earlier phonetic pattern.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Working adults

Social background: Professional