いち早はやく

い

ち

は

や

く

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

adverb

promptly; quickly; without delay

Emphasizes quick action soon after something happens; often used with verbs such as 対応する, 駆けつける, or 動く.

問もん題だいが見みつかると、担たん当とう者しゃはいち早はやく対たい応おうした。
When the problem was found, the person in charge responded promptly.

adverb

before others; first; ahead of others

Highlights being earlier than other people or groups, not just being fast in absolute terms.

彼かの女じょはいち早はやく異い変へんに気きづいた。
She noticed the abnormality before anyone else.

See all 13 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

いち早はやく〈動どう詞し〉to do something (verb) promptly, ahead of others
彼かれはいち早はやく危き険けんを察さっ知ちして避ひ難なんした。
He sensed the danger before anyone else and evacuated right away.
いち早はやく対たい応おうするto respond promptly (before others do)
会かい社しゃは問もん題だいにいち早はやく対たい応おうした。
The company responded to the problem right away, before others noticed.
いち早はやく駆かけつけるto rush to the scene first / faster than anyone else
消しょう防ぼう士したちは現げん場ばにいち早はやく駆かけつけた。
The firefighters rushed to the scene before anyone else.
いち早はやく気きづくto notice something before others do
彼かの女じょは変へん化かにいち早はやく気きづいた。
She noticed the change before anyone else did.

Kanji

早early, fast
逸deviate, idleness, leisure
速quick, fast

Related words

すぐにN5sense 1
すぐに simply means 'right away' without any sense of being ahead of others, while いち早く emphasizes acting faster than everyone else.
早さっ速そくN3sense 1
早速 describes doing something promptly after a cue or opportunity, whereas いち早く focuses on being the first or fastest to act.
真まっ先さきに sense 2
真っ先に and いち早く both stress being first among others, but 真っ先に is more casual and concrete (e.g. first in line), while いち早く often implies speed of response as well.

Opposites

遅おそく sense 1
遅く means 'late' or 'slowly', the opposite of いち早く's sense of being quick or ahead of others.

Don't confuse with

素す早ばやいN2sense 1
素早い is an adjective describing quick, agile movement itself, while いち早く is an adverb emphasizing being early or ahead of others in timing.

Written forms

いち早はやくUsage83%
Standard mixed-kana spelling and the prioritized form.
いちはやくUsage13%
逸早いちはやくUsage3%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji spelling; ordinary writing normally uses いち早く.
逸速いちはやく
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji spelling; ordinary writing normally uses いち早く.

Etymology

A transparent expression combining いち, related to 'one' or 'first', with 早く, the adverbial form of 早い 'early; fast'. The rare kanji spellings are attested variants, but the ordinary spelling is いち早く.