Learn Hardcore Korean: pyeongso-e juro iljjik ja.

It can be confusing. In this sentence, final 자 is the informal intimate present ending (banmal), so with the context 평소에 주로 it’s understood as a casual statement about a habit. But:

일찍 자 can also sound like an informal command (Sleep early).
일찍 자자 is the propositive (Let’s sleep early).
For a clear statement about a habit, many learners prefer: 평소에 주로 일찍 자요 (polite) or 평소에 주로 일찍 잔다 (plain/written).

Why use both 평소에 and 주로? Isn’t that redundant?

They overlap in meaning but target different nuances:

평소에 = in ordinary times/as usual (time frame; often contrasted with special days like weekends or holidays).
주로 = mostly/mainly (proportion/frequency). Together: On ordinary days, I mostly sleep early. You can drop one if you don’t need that nuance.

Where do all these adverbs go? Is the order natural?

Yes. The common order is broad time/topic → frequency/degree → manner/time-of-action → verb:

평소에 주로 일찍 자(요). Other acceptable placements for emphasis:
주로 평소에 일찍 자요. (emphasizes mostly it’s on ordinary days)
평소에는 주로 일찍 자요. Avoid 일찍 주로 자요, which sounds odd.

How do I make this polite or more formal?

Casual (banmal): 평소에 주로 일찍 자.
Polite informal: 평소에 주로 일찍 자요.
Formal: 평소에 주로 일찍 잡니다. Plain/written statement style: 평소에 주로 일찍 잔다.

Who is the subject here? Do I need to say 나/저?

Korean often omits the subject when obvious. Here it’s usually understood as I. Add it if needed:

Casual: 나는 평소에 주로 일찍 자.
Polite: 저는 평소에 주로 일찍 자요. You can also make it generic: 사람들은 평소에 주로 일찍 자요.

What’s the difference between 일찍 and 빨리?

일찍 = early (relative to the clock/schedule). 일찍 자요 = go to bed early.
빨리 = quickly/fast or hurry. 빨리 자 often means Hurry up and go to bed (now), not earlier-than-usual. To say fall asleep early, use 일찍 잠들다.

Is 평소에 the same as 보통 or 평일에?

평소에: on ordinary days/as usual (contrasts with special occasions; not necessarily weekdays).
보통: usually/normally (general frequency adverb). Ex: 보통 일찍 자요.
평일에: on weekdays (specifically). Ex: 평일에는 일찍 자요.

Why do I sometimes see 평소엔 instead of 평소에?

평소에는 (time + topic) often contracts to 평소엔 in speech/writing. 평소에 (no topic marker) is also fine. 평소에는 adds a slight topic/contrast nuance.

Should I use 잔다 instead of 자 for a habitual statement?

잔다 is the plain declarative (often used in writing, headlines, or reported speech) and clearly reads as a statement: 평소에 주로 일찍 잔다.
In everyday polite speech, 자요 is more common: 평소에 주로 일찍 자요.
Bare 자 can be a casual statement among close friends but can also sound like a command depending on context.

Can I drop either 평소에 or 주로?

Yes, depending on what you want to say:

평소에 일찍 자(요). = On ordinary days, (I) sleep early.
주로 일찍 자(요). = (I) mostly sleep early. Keeping both gives both the time-frame and the degree.

Does 주로 modify 일찍 or 자다?

It modifies the whole predicate, effectively meaning mostly I sleep early, not mostly early. So it scopes over 일찍 자다 as a unit.

Any pronunciation tips?

Revised Romanization: pyeongso-e juro iljjik ja.
In fast speech, some speakers tense the initial ㅈ of 자 after 일찍, sounding like [일찍 짜] (optional colloquial tensification).
평소에 is pronounced with the vowels separated: [평소에], not merged.

Can I say 잠을 자다 or 잠들다 instead?

잠을 자다 is fine but often shortened to 자다. You could say 평소에 주로 일찍 잠을 자요, but 일찍 자요 is more natural.
잠들다 means to fall asleep. 평소에 주로 일찍 잠들어요 highlights the time you actually fall asleep, not just go to bed.

How can I express contrast more clearly?

Use the topic marker with time expressions:

평소에는 주로 일찍 자요. 주말에는 늦게 자요. This makes the contrast ordinary days vs. weekends explicit.