1.
a bit early, somewhat early, on the early side
Indicates something done earlier than usual or expected, but not extremely early. Often used with に to function adverbially.
早めに出かける。
To head out a bit early.
明日は早めに寝よう。
Let's go to bed a bit early tomorrow.
道が混むかもしれないから、早めに家を出た方がいい。
The roads might be congested, so it's better to leave home a bit early.
早め means "a bit early" or "on the early side." It is formed from the adjective 早い with the suffix め, which softens the meaning to "somewhat" or "a bit."
PATTERN:
早めに + verb: to do something a bit early
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 遅め: a bit late (opposite pattern)
- 多め: a bit more than usual
- 少なめ: a bit less than usual
The め suffix can attach to many adjectives to create this "somewhat ~" meaning.