早朝

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 早朝, read そうちょう, combines early 早 with morning 朝 to narrow the time to the start of the day.
• Basic usage: It denotes the early part of the morning, as in 早朝の公園 or 早朝に出発する.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Scope and context
  • It has no single fixed clock range but emphasizes a time earlier than ordinary morning activity.