早い

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: Written 早い and read はやい, it describes either an event occurring earlier than a reference time or work being completed quickly.
• Basic usage: It appears in leaving home an hour earlier and in a person finishing tasks ahead of schedule.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Early timing versus fast performance
  • One use compares when something happens; the other compares how little time an action takes.