早そう熟じゅく

そ

う

じゅ

く

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun, na-adjective, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

precocity; early ripening; premature development

Describes a person, talent, or organism that matures or develops earlier than usual. Often used in educational, psychological, or agricultural contexts. The antonym is 晩熟 (ばんじゅく, late maturing).

Usage patterns

早そう熟じゅくな〈人ひと〉a precocious person (who matures early)
彼かの女じょは早そう熟じゅくな子こ供どもで、五ご歳さいのときにはもう本ほんを読よんでいた。
She was a precocious child and was already reading books at age five.
早そう熟じゅくの〈才さい能のう〉an early-blooming talent
彼かれは早そう熟じゅくの才さい能のうを発はっ揮きし、若わかくしてプロになった。
He showed a precocious talent and turned professional while still young.
早そう熟じゅくの〈作さく物ぶつ〉an early-ripening crop (variety)
この地ち域いきでは早そう熟じゅくのトマトが好このまれる。
In this region, early-ripening tomatoes are preferred.

Kanji

早early, fast
熟mellow, ripen, mature

Related words

早そう成せい
早熟 and 早成 both mean developing early, but 早成 is more literary/technical and often used for organisms or biological growth rather than personality.
老ろう成せい
早熟 means developing physically or mentally earlier than the norm, while 老成 specifically means acting or thinking with the maturity of an older person despite one's age.

Opposites

晩ばん熟じゅく
早熟 describes maturing earlier than usual, while 晩熟 describes maturing later than usual.
遅おそ咲ざき
早熟 describes a person whose talent or maturity shows early, the figurative opposite of a 遅咲き person whose success comes late.

Don't confuse with

成せい熟じゅくN1
早熟 means maturing earlier than normal, whereas 成熟 simply means reaching maturity or ripeness with no implication of timing.
熟じゅく成せい
早熟 refers to a person or organism developing ahead of schedule, while 熟成 refers to the aging or maturation process of things like wine or cheese, not people.

Etymology

From 早 (early) + 熟 (ripen, mature). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the compound follows a common Sino-Japanese pattern for describing developmental timing.