Inklingo
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temprano

/tem-PRA-no/

early

A cheerful squirrel is sitting wide awake on a tree branch against a dark blue sky with the first hint of sunrise on the horizon, illustrating an action happening early.

When an action happens temprano, it happens early. This squirrel woke up before the sun fully rose.

temprano(Adverb)

A1

early

?

Describing when an action happens

📝 In Action

Me levanto temprano para ir a trabajar.

A1

I get up early to go to work.

Llegamos demasiado temprano a la fiesta.

A2

We arrived too early to the party.

Es mejor empezar temprano para terminar antes.

B1

It's better to start early to finish sooner.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • pronto (soon)
  • anticipadamente (in advance)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • levantarse temprano – to get up early
  • llegar temprano – to arrive early
  • irse temprano – to leave early

Idioms & Expressions

💡 Grammar Points

The Unchanging Adverb

When 'temprano' describes an action (a verb), it always stays the same. It doesn't matter who is doing the action. It's always 'temprano'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Mixing it up with the adjective

Mistake: "She gets up early: *Ella se levanta temprana.*"

Correction: Say: *Ella se levanta temprano.* Because 'temprano' is describing the action of getting up (levantarse), not 'ella'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Action Word vs. Thing Word

To know if you should use 'temprano', ask yourself: is it describing how an action is done? If yes, use 'temprano'. For example, in 'I eat early,' 'early' describes the action of eating.

A single, large, ripe red apple hangs prominently on a tree branch, surrounded by several smaller, unripe green apples, indicating an early ripening.

Temprano can describe a thing or event, like this apple that ripened early compared to the others.

temprano(Adjective)

mA2

early

?

Describing a thing or event

Also:

premature

?

Happening before the expected time

📝 In Action

Fue una cena temprana, a las seis de la tarde.

A2

It was an early dinner, at six in the evening.

Prefiero tomar un vuelo temprano por la mañana.

B1

I prefer to take an early flight in the morning.

Su éxito temprano sorprendió a todos.

B2

His early success surprised everyone.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • precoz (precocious)
  • prematuro (premature)

Antonyms

  • tardío (late, belated)

Common Collocations

  • desayuno temprano – early breakfast
  • vuelo temprano – early flight
  • muerte temprana – early death

💡 Grammar Points

The Changing Adjective

When 'temprano' describes a thing (a noun), it needs to match that thing's gender and number. It can change to 'temprana' (for feminine things), 'tempranos' (for masculine plural things), or 'tempranas' (for feminine plural things).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting to match the noun

Mistake: "An early appointment: *una cita temprano*"

Correction: Say: *una cita temprana*. Because 'cita' is a feminine word, the adjective describing it also needs to be feminine.

⭐ Usage Tips

Check the Noun

Before you use 'temprano' as a descriptor, look at the noun it's connected to. Is the noun masculine or feminine? Singular or plural? Adjust 'temprano' to match!

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: temprano

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence is correct?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

tempranero(early riser) - adjective/noun
tempranamente(early (adverb)) - adverb

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'temprano' and 'pronto'?

Great question! 'Temprano' means 'early' (the opposite of 'late'). It refers to a time at the beginning of a period, like early in the morning. 'Pronto' means 'soon' (the opposite of 'later'). It refers to something happening in a short amount of time from now. So you'd say 'Me levanto temprano' (I get up early) but 'Vuelvo pronto' (I'll be back soon).