尽早
jǐn zǎo · HSK 7
as early as possible
⏰ 尽早 = 尽 (to the utmost) + 早 (early) = at the earliest extent, so as early as possible
尽 means to exhaust or push to the limit; 早 means early. Together they push earliness to its maximum: do it as early as you possibly can. The 早 element shows the sun 日 over the horizon, the early part of the day.
尽 — hand 彐 holding brush over fire 灬
Originally depicted a hand holding a brush sweeping out the last embers in a vessel, suggesting 'finishing' or 'using up.' The simplified form 尽 replaces the older 盡, but keeps the core meaning of exhausting or completing something fully.
早 — sun 日 + ten 十 (originally 甲, a helmet/sprout)
Originally depicted the sun 日 rising above a sprouting plant or a person's head, suggesting the early morning when the sun first appears. The lower component was simplified over time into 十. The core meaning 'morning, early' has remained stable since oracle bone script.