Use erken when a time or action is early, including arriving before an expected time.

The idea

Say tren erken for an early train and erken kalkıyor for someone getting up early. The word describes timing in both.

Examples

  • Bugün erken kalkıyorum.I am getting up early today.
  • Erken bir tren var.There is an early train.
  • Toplantıya erken geldik.We arrived early for the meeting.
  • Çok erken, dükkân kapalı.It is very early; the shop is closed.
  • Otobüs geç değil, erken.The bus is not late; it is early.
  • Erken bir saatte buluşuyoruz.We are meeting at an early hour.

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Watch out

Erken concerns timing, not speed. An early train need not travel fast.

Try it yourself

  1. Choose the option that completes the Turkish sentence. Tren saat 9 yerine saat 8.30’da geliyor; tren ___. (erken / geç)

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    erken

    Erken fits a train arriving before nine.

  2. Choose the option that completes the Turkish sentence. Sabah saat altıda kalkıyorum; bugün ___ kalkıyorum. (erken / geç)

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    erken

    Erken describes getting up at an early hour.

  3. Choose the option that completes the Turkish sentence. Otobüs erken ___; geç. (değil / mi)

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    değil

    Değil negates erken: the bus is late.

Use it today

Describe an early departure and say when you get up.