早期 + Noun / 在 + 早期
早期 (zǎoqī) means "early stage" or "early period" and is used to describe the initial phase of a process, era, or development. It functions as both a noun and an adjective. For example, 早期宇宙 means "the early universe" and 在早期 means "in the early stage."
这座城市在早期只是一个小渔村。
Zhè zuò chéngshì zài zǎoqī zhǐ shì yí ge xiǎo yúcūn.
In its early days, this city was just a small fishing village.
早期的研究结果并不理想。
Zǎoqī de yánjiū jiéguǒ bìng bù lǐxiǎng.
The early research results were not ideal.
这种疾病在早期很难被发现。
Zhè zhǒng jíbìng zài zǎoqī hěn nán bèi fāxiàn.
This disease is hard to detect in its early stages.