temprano

Temprano is a Spanish adjective and adverb meaning “early” or “at an early time.” It describes actions or events that occur before others in a sequence or that happen at the beginning of a period, such as the early hours of the day. It is commonly used to indicate time of day (temprano en la mañana) and to refer to the onset of processes or schedules.

Grammatical notes include gender and number: temprano (masculine singular), temprana (feminine singular), tempranos (masculine plural), and tempranas (feminine plural). As an adverb, it is in the same form: “Llegaron temprano.” It is also found in fixed expressions like “a tempranas horas” or “temprano por la mañana,” which emphasize the early part of the day or a time frame.

Temprano contrasts with terms such as tarde (late) and pronto (soon or promptly), though each has distinct nuances. Pronto emphasizes immediacy, while temprano stresses an earlier point in time or in a sequence. In practical use, temprano can modify verbs, nouns, or whole clauses to convey timeliness, e.g., “Salimos temprano” or “la cosecha temprana” in agricultural contexts.

In addition to everyday language, temprano is common in technical and agricultural discourse. In agriculture and horticulture, it describes crops, varieties, or practices that mature or occur earlier than others, as in “cultivos tempranos” or “variedades tempranas.”

Etymology generally traces temprano to Spanish roots related to time or timing, with usage widespread across Spanish-speaking regions. The term appears across literature, media, education, and daily speech to denote precedence in time.