frühzeitiges

Frühzeitiges is the attributive form of the German adjective frühzeitig, used to describe nouns that denote an action, event, or state occurring early. It is not a distinct lexical item, but a grammatical form whose ending depends on gender, number, and the presence of an article.

In practice, frühzeitiges appears mainly with neuter singular nouns when there is no definite article or when an indefinite article is used. Examples: frühzeitiges Handeln (early action), frühzeitiges Auftreten (early onset). When a definite article is present, the form typically changes to das frühzeitige Handeln. Feminine and plural forms follow their own patterns: frühzeitige Maßnahme (feminine singular), frühzeitige Maßnahmen (plural). These endings reflect standard German adjective inflection rules.

Semantically, frühzeitiges conveys the sense of doing something earlier than usual or recommended, often with a positive or preventative connotation. It is common in domains such as medicine, psychology, education, and project planning, where early recognition, intervention, or action is emphasized. For example: frühzeitige Erkennung von Symptomen, frühzeitige Behandlung, frühzeitige Interventionen.

Notes and related terms: frühzeitig is the base adjective meaning “early/ timely,” while frühzeitig can also function as an adverb in some contexts. The exact ending of frühzeitiges, frühzeitige, or frühzeitige depends on case, number, and article, in line with standard German declension. The concept is frequently translated as “early-onset,” “early intervention,” or “early action” in English, depending on context.

See also: Frühzeit, frühzeitige Behandlung, frühzeitige Intervention.