早知 [－－]

Jyutping zou2 zi1
Pinyin zǎo zhī

Definitions (CC-CEDICT)
  1. to know in advance
Definitions (粵典–words.hk)
  1. 副詞
    表示​做​完​一件​事​或者​得知​某件事​嘅​結​果​之​後​後​悔
    feeling regret after receiving an outcome from a piece of work
    • 早知今日，何必當初
      早知今日，何必当初
      zou2 zi1 gam1 jat5, ho4 bit1 dong1 co1
      if one had known it would come to this, he would not have acted so
    • 今日個比賽原來去到要齋坐成朝先開始，早知我就唔去啦！
      今日个比赛原来去到要斋坐成朝先开始，早知我就唔去啦！
      gam1 jat6 go3 bei2 coi3 jyun4 loi4 heoi3 dou3 jiu3 zaai1 co5 seng4 ziu1 sin1 hoi1 ci2, zou2 zi1 ngo5 zau6 m4 heoi3 laa1!
      If I knew that we need to wait for the whole morning before the competition starts, I would not have gone there!
Definitions (Wiktionary)
  1. verb
    to know earlier
Examples (Tatoeba—Mandarin-English)
  1. Mandarin
    如果我早知道你在这儿的话，我马上就来了。
    如果我早知道你在這兒的話，我馬上就來了。
    rú guǒ wǒ zǎo zhī dao nǐ zài zhè er de huà ， wǒ mǎ shàng jiù lái le 。
    • If I had known that you were here, I would have come at once.
  2. Mandarin
    如果我早知道，我不会跟她说这种话。
    如果我早知道，我不會跟她説這種話。
    rú guǒ wǒ zǎo zhī dao ， wǒ bù huì gēn tā shuō zhè zhǒng huà 。
    • Had I known that, I wouldn't have said such a thing to her.
  3. Mandarin
    如果我早知道他的地址，我早就给他写信了。
    如果我早知道他的地址，我早就給他寫信了。
    rú guǒ wǒ zǎo zhī dao tā de dì zhǐ ， wǒ zǎo jiù gěi tā xiě xìn le 。
    • Had I known her address, I would have written to her.
  4. Mandarin
    早知道我不应该打电话给他。
    早知道我不應該打電話給他。
    zǎo zhī dao wǒ bù yīng gāi dǎ diàn huà gěi tā 。
    • I should have known better than to call him.
  5. Mandarin
    早知如此，就不应该借钱给他。
    早知如此，就不應該借錢給他。
    zǎo zhī rú cǐ ， jiù bù yīng gāi jiè qián gěi tā 。
    • You should have known better than to lend him money.
Examples (Tatoeba—Cantonese-English)
  1. Cantonese
    早知到，就唔好借钱卑佢。
    早知到，就唔好借錢卑佢。
    zou2 zi1 dou3 ， zau6 m4 hou3 ze3 cin2 bei1 keoi5 。
    • You should have known better than to lend him money.
Examples (粵典–words.hk)
  1. Cantonese
    早知呢个电话咁鲊，就俾多几草买个好啲㗎啦！
    早知呢個電話咁鮓，就俾多幾草買個好啲㗎啦！
    zou2 zi1 ni1 go3 din6 waa2 gam3 zaa2, zau6 bei2 do1 gei2 cou2 maai5 go3 hou2 di1 gaa3 laa1!
    • If I knew this phone was going to be so lousy, I would have paid a few tens of dollars more to buy a better one!
  2. Cantonese
    早知今日，何必当初
    早知今日，何必當初
    zou2 zi1 gam1 jat5, ho4 bit1 dong1 co1
    • if one had known it would come to this, he would not have acted so
  3. Cantonese
    今日个比赛原来去到要斋坐成朝先开始，早知我就唔去啦！
    今日個比賽原來去到要齋坐成朝先開始，早知我就唔去啦！
    gam1 jat6 go3 bei2 coi3 jyun4 loi4 heoi3 dou3 jiu3 zaai1 co5 seng4 ziu1 sin1 hoi1 ci2, zou2 zi1 ngo5 zau6 m4 heoi3 laa1!
    • If I knew that we need to wait for the whole morning before the competition starts, I would not have gone there!
  4. Cantonese
    早知今日咁冻，就着多件内胆先至出街啦。
    早知今日咁凍，就着多件內膽先至出街啦。
    zou2 zi1 gam1 jat6 gam3 dung3, zau6 zoek3 do1 gin6 noi6 daam2 sin1 zi3 ceot1 gaai1 laa1.
    • If I had known that it's cold today, I would wear a thermal underwear before going out.
  5. Cantonese
    唉！早知唔帮佢手啦，搞到自己啲功课都未做完，今次捉虫喇。
    唉！早知唔幫佢手啦，搞到自己啲功課都未做完，今次捉蟲喇。
    aai2, zou2 zi1 m4 bong1 keoi5 sau2 laa1, gaau2 dou3 zi6 gei2 di1 gung1 fo3 dou1 mei6 zou6 jyun4, gam1 ci3 zuk1 cung4 laa3
    • Sigh! I shouldn't spent all my time helping, that caused my homework unfinished, I shot myself in the foot this time.
Examples (Wiktionary)
  1. Mandarin
    我早知道他不是个好玩意儿。
    我早知道他不是個好玩意兒。
    wǒ zǎo zhī dào tā bù shì ge hǎo wán yì r5 ．
    • I knew all along that he was no good.
  2. Mandarin
    最后作别，黎老板塞给我儿子一个封包，我早知东莞人爱讲“利市”，也将事先备好的封包给他孩子。
    最後作別，黎老闆塞給我兒子一個封包，我早知東莞人愛講“利市”，也將事先備好的封包給他孩子。
    zuì hòu zuò bié ， lí lǎo bǎn sài gěi wǒ ér zǐ yī ge fēng bāo ， wǒ zǎo zhī dōng wǎn rén ài jiǎng “ lì shì ” ， yě jiāng shì xiān bèi hǎo de fēng bāo gěi tā hái zǐ ．
    • X