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早々 (そうそう, sousou) Japanese meaning: as soon as | Kotomora

早そう々そう

そ

う

そ

う

Common word›Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

noun, used as a suffix, noun, adverb

as soon as; just after; immediately after

Attached to the continuative form of a verb or a noun to mean 'right after doing/being ...'. Often used in formal or written contexts.

帰き

国こく

早そう

々そう

、

新あたら

しい

仕し

事ごと

を

始はじ

め

た

。

As soon as I returned to my country, I started a new job.

入にゅう社しゃ早そう々そう、大おおきなプロジェクトを任まかされた。

Immediately after joining the company, I was put in charge of a big project.

2

hurriedly; promptly; early

Used adverbially, often as 早々に, to indicate doing something without delay or earlier than expected.

問もん題だいが起おきたので、早そう々そうに対たい応おうした。
Since a problem occurred, we dealt with it promptly.
彼かれは早そう々そうに退たい社しゃした。
He left the office early.

Usage patterns

〈動詞どうし〉〉て早々そうそうright after doing ~
会かい社しゃに着ついて早そう々そう、電でん話わが鳴なった。
Just after I arrived at the office, the phone rang.
早々そうそうに〈動詞どうし〉〉to do ~ promptly, without delay
彼かれは早そう々そうに返へん事じをくれた。
He gave me a reply promptly.
早々そうそうに立たち去さるto leave promptly / hastily
彼かの女じょは挨あい拶さつもせずに早そう々そうに立たち去さった。
She left hastily without even greeting anyone.

Kanji

早early, fast

Related words

すぐN4sense 1
すぐ is a casual, everyday word for 'immediately', while 早々 is more formal and typically attaches to a verb stem or noun as a suffix.
直ちょく後ごN2sense 1
直後 is a noun meaning 'immediately after' and is used with に, whereas 早々 attaches directly onto the preceding verb's continuative form.
早さっ速そくN3sense 2
早速 stresses acting promptly in response to something, while 早々 (especially as 早々に) stresses doing something without delay or earlier than expected.
そこそこN1
In the 〜もそこそこに construction そこそこ implies leaving a task half-finished out of urgency, while 早々に simply emphasizes doing something promptly without that nuance of incompleteness.

Don't confuse with

草そう々そう
草々 is a closing phrase used at the end of a letter meaning 'in haste', while 早々 (same pronunciation) means 'right after' or 'promptly' and is used mid-sentence.
早はや々ばやN1
早々 read はやばや means 'very early' as a plain adverb, while the same spelling read そうそう means 'right after' or 'promptly' as a suffix/adverb.

Word family

新しん年ねん早そう々そう
at the very beginning of the New Year; early in the New Year
時じ期き早そう々そう
premature

Written forms

早そう々そうUsage93%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency news and common usage.
そうそうUsage6%
早そう早そうUsage<1%
Alternate kanji form; less common but still encountered.

Etymology

Reduplication of 早 (early, fast), emphasizing immediacy or earliness.