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temprano

tem-PRA-notemˈpɾano

“temprano” means “early” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

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.

📝 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

early

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

📝 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

Antonyms

  • tardío (late, belated)

Common Collocations

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

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "temprano" in Spanish:

early→premature→

✏️ 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
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word 'temporaneus', which meant 'timely'. This itself is from the Latin word 'tempus', meaning 'time'. So, 'temprano' is literally all about being on time, or even a little before!

First recorded: Around the 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: temporãoCatalan: primerenc

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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).