that's early

USAGE SUMMARY

'that's early' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to express that something is occurring sooner than expected. For example: "We agreed to meet at 10am, but you're here at 9:30am? That's early!".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

Is it too early to have a very meaningful game? "It's a game that's early in the year, and they're all meaningful," Boston Manager Terry Francona said.

The New York Times

"Oh God, that's early," Calhoun said.

Los Angeles Times

"That's early".

The New York Times - Science

That's early for us, because we like to play tennis at 9 o'clock.

The New York Times

That's early voting, something campaigns have become increasingly organized about, and something we in the news media have been monitoring.

The New York Times

"For a musician, when he's up late in the morning, coming to get fitted, if he's late, to me that's early," Mr. Greenfield said.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

So, for example, cells that are early precursors of cervical cancer are likely to revert.

The New York Times

nooooo, stop me before i fall down the rabbit hole that is early 90s europop.

The New Yorker

Like the author, I was raised to respect the exceptional adventure that was early Gaullism.

Huffington Post

Look for cards that are early printed, ex: 1999.

WikiHow

Software POS systems have penetrated less than 20percentt of restaurants in the U.S. That's early-adopter territory, but that is quickly changing.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "that's early" to express surprise or mild disapproval when something happens sooner than expected. It's often used in informal conversation.

Common error

Don't use "that's early" when you need to convey a sense of urgency or importance about doing something promptly. Instead, use phrases like "it's crucial to act now" or "we need to do this immediately".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "that's early" functions as an adverbial phrase expressing a temporal assessment. It serves to indicate that an event or action is occurring sooner than anticipated or desired. Ludwig examples show usage in varied contexts, confirming its role as a time-related qualifier.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Academia

3%

Encyclopedias

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "that's early" is a common and grammatically correct phrase used to express that something is occurring sooner than expected. Ludwig examples and AI analysis confirm its usage in various contexts, particularly in news and media. While generally informal, the phrase can also appear in more neutral settings when quoting speech. If you're looking for alternatives, consider "that's ahead of schedule" or "that's premature", depending on the nuance you want to convey. Be mindful not to confuse it with phrases expressing urgency.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

that's ahead of schedule

Emphasizes that something is progressing faster than planned.

that's premature

Highlights that something is happening before the appropriate time.

that's too soon

Indicates that the timing is not right because it's too early.

that's before time

A more formal way to say something is happening earlier than expected.

that's previous

Suggests a preceding occurrence that happened sooner than another.

that's in advance

Highlights that something is done or happening before a scheduled time.

that's beforehand

Implies an action or event taking place prior to another.

that's anticipating

Implies taking action or noticing before time comes.

that's previous to expectation

Expresses something happening earlier than anticipated or planned.

that's unexpectedly early

Emphasizes the surprise factor of something happening sooner.

FAQs

How can I use "that's early" in a sentence?

You can use "that's early" to express surprise or mild disapproval when something happens sooner than expected. For example: "The meeting is scheduled for 10 AM, but you're already here at 9:30 AM? "That's early"!"

What are some alternatives to saying "that's early"?

Alternatives to "that's early" include phrases like "that's ahead of schedule", "that's premature", or "that's too soon", depending on the specific context.

Is it grammatically correct to say "that's early"?

Yes, "that's early" is grammatically correct and commonly used in spoken English to indicate that something is happening sooner than expected. The phrase follows standard English grammar rules and is widely understood.

What's the difference between "that's early" and "that's too early"?

"That's early" is a general observation that something is happening sooner than expected. "That's too early" implies a stronger sense of something being inappropriately timed or unwelcome because of its earliness.