早朝（そうちょう、souchoう）
- early morning

The Japanese word 早朝 （そうちょう） means "early morning," "dawn," or "wee hours of the morning." It refers to the time period shortly after sunrise, typically the first few hours of the day. It implies a time before most people have started their daily activities.

⚫︎早朝にジョギングをします。 Translation: I go jogging in the early morning. ⚫︎早朝便で東京に到着しました。 Translation: I arrived in Tokyo on the early morning flight. ⚫︎早朝の静けさが好きです。 Translation: I like the stillness of the early morning.

⚫︎You can use 早朝 （そうちょう） when discussing activities, events, or observations that occur during the early morning hours. ⚫︎It's suitable for both formal and informal contexts. ⚫︎It is often used to describe the timing of flights, meetings, or the atmosphere of the morning.

⚫︎早朝 （そうちょう） is typically written with the kanji 早 (meaning "early") and 朝 (meaning "morning"). ⚫︎The reading is そうちょう in hiragana. ⚫︎There are no variations in okurigana.

⚫︎朝早く (あさはやく) - early in the morning ⚫︎明け方 (あけがた) - dawn, daybreak ⚫︎夜明け (よあけ) - dawn, daybreak ⚫︎未明 (みめい) - before dawn, wee hours

⚫︎夕方 (ゆうがた) - evening ⚫︎夜 (よる) - night ⚫︎晩 (ばん) - evening

早朝の散歩はとても気持ちがいい。 ・Translation: A walk in the early morning feels very good. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the pleasant experience of taking a walk during the early morning hours.

早朝の電車は空いている。 ・Translation: The train is empty in the early morning. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the condition of a train during the early morning hours.

The word 早朝 is a compound word. 早 (haya) means "early" and 朝 (asa/chou) means "morning." Therefore, 早朝 （そうちょう） literally means "early morning."