"keep early hours" 是一个习惯用语,字面意为“保持早的时间”,实际指“早睡早起”(go to bed early and get up early),强调长期保持的作息习惯,而非偶尔一次的早眠或早起。
该短语的核心是描述人的长期作息习惯,主语通常是“人”,常见于口语和书面语,可灵活用于不同时态和句式。
直接说明某人有早睡早起的习惯,时态随语境变化:
一般现在时(描述当前习惯):
My grandfather keeps early hours—he’s always up before sunrise.(我爷爷习惯早睡早起,总是日出前就起床。)
一般过去时(描述过去的习惯):
When I was in high school, I kept early hours to study for exams.(高中时,我为了备考而早睡早起。)
否定式(表示没有早睡早起的习惯):
She doesn’t keep early hours—she often stays up watching TV until 12.(她不早睡早起,经常熬夜看电视到12点。)
用于确认对方或他人是否有此习惯:
Do you keep early hours during the workweek?(工作日你早睡早起吗?)
Did your parents keep early hours when you were little?(你小时候父母早睡早起吗?)
常与 to / in order to / because 等连用:
I’ve started keeping early hours to improve my sleep quality.(我开始早睡早起,以提高睡眠质量。)
She keeps early hours because she needs to walk her dog at 6 a.m. every day.(她早睡早起,因为每天早上6点要遛狗。)
"keep early hours" 强调长期习惯,若描述“某一次”早睡早起,需用具体表达(如 go to bed early/get up early yesterday):
❌ Yesterday I kept early hours.(错误:“昨天”是单次行为,不能用习惯用语。)
✅ Yesterday I went to bed early and got up early.(正确:描述单次行为。)
同义词:be an early bird(习惯早起的人)、have a regular early schedule(作息规律且早);
反义词:stay up late(熬夜)、keep late hours(晚睡晚起)。
总结:"keep early hours" 是简洁描述“早睡早起习惯”的常用短语,重点在“长期坚持”,使用时注意结合时态和语境哦!