Fast; quick; rapid—used for high speed or quick movement/action (often written with 速い).
彼は足が速いのでマラソンで好成績を残す。
He runs fast, so he gets good results in marathons.
この車は加速が早いから、高速道路で走りやすい。
This car accelerates quickly, so it's easy to drive on the highway.
電車が早いので、時間に余裕を持って出発した。
The train is fast, so I left with plenty of time.
Early; occurring before the usual time—used about time or timing (often written with 早い).
朝早い時間に散歩するのが好きだ。
I like taking a walk early in the morning.
約束の時間より早く着いてしまった。
I arrived earlier than the appointment time.
試験が思ったより早く終わった。
The exam finished sooner than I expected.
Premature; too soon—indicating that something is happening before an appropriate time.
その決断は早すぎたかもしれない。
That decision may have been too hasty/too soon.
結果を発表するにはまだ早い。
It's still too soon to announce the results.
Quick/easy—used when something can be done with little effort or time; simple and fast.
この方法だと作業が早いので、初心者でもすぐ終わる。
With this method the work goes quickly, so even beginners finish soon.
このレシピは工程が少なくて早い。
This recipe has few steps and is quick.
Used in expressions like '…するが早いか' or '…するより早く' to indicate that one action happens almost immediately after another.
ベルが鳴るが早いか、生徒たちは教室を飛び出した。
No sooner had the bell rung than the students rushed out of the classroom.
ドアが開くが早いか、彼は中へ駆け込んだ。
As soon as the door opened, he dashed inside.