Definition
趁早 (chèn zǎo) means 'as soon as possible, before it's too late' — it emphasizes acting early to avoid a negative outcome, often in warnings or advice. It is more colloquial than 及早 (jí zǎo, HSK7), which is similar but more formal and less urgent. Unlike 赶紧 (gǎn jǐn, HSK4), which stresses hurrying, 趁早 stresses timeliness to prevent trouble.
adverb
as soon as possiblebefore it's too late (urging timely action to avoid trouble)
Examples
- 趁早，。Nǐ chèn zǎo gàosu tā, bié ràng tā dānxīn.Tell him as soon as possible — don't let him worry.
- ，趁早。Wèntí chūxiàn le, chèn zǎo jiějué cái néng jiǎnshǎo sǔnshī.The problem has appeared; solve it as soon as possible to reduce losses.
- ，趁早。Xiǎng kǎo shàng hǎo dàxué, jiù yào chèn zǎo kāishǐ nǔlì.If you want to get into a good university, you should start working hard as soon as possible.
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