How should I read 早々？　As そうそう or はやばや？


How do you read 早々 in these sentences?

I learned there are two readings: そうそう、and はやばや。

How do they differ, if at all?

> 早々にごへんじいただきありがとうございます。 Thank you for your prompt reply.
>
> 新年早々、借金を催促されるなんてひどすぎる。 It’s too cruel to demand money right after the start
> of the new year.




There is a good explanation about the two readings at
[例文.jp](http://%E4%BE%8B%E6%96%87.jp/519_1.html).

To sum it up:

## 早々{はやばや}

  * Nowadays generally used as an adverb with the particle と
  * Means "early", "immediately", "quickly"

> 金曜日は **早々{はやばや}と** 仕事を切り上げ、教室へ直行するのが常であった。  
>  On Fridays, it was usual for me to finish my work **quickly** and go
> straight to the classroom.  
>  Source: 例文.jp

## 早々{そうそう}

  * Used adverbially with the particle に; same meaning as 早々{はやばや}と (but they aren't interchangeable grammatically)
  * Can be used as a suffix to nouns with the meaning "right after ..." with particles から, に or no particle at all
  * This is apparently also used in formal letters. Please refer to these answers: [What's the appropriate 挨拶 for e-mails to a friend and for e-mails to customer service?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/15637/whats-the-appropriate-%E6%8C%A8%E6%8B%B6-for-e-mails-to-a-friend-and-for-e-mails-to-customer-se/15673)

Based on this information, 早々 should be read そうそう in both your sentences. In
the first one the 早々{そうそう} is used with the particle に. In the second sentence
早々{そうそう} is a suffix to 新年 and 「新年[早々]{そうそう}」 means "right after the start of
the new year" like it's translated.




There is a good explanation about the two readings at
[例文.jp](http://%E4%BE%8B%E6%96%87.jp/519_1.html).

To sum it up:

## 早々{はやばや}

  * Nowadays generally used as an adverb with the particle と
  * Means "early", "immediately", "quickly"

> 金曜日は **早々{はやばや}と** 仕事を切り上げ、教室へ直行するのが常であった。  
>  On Fridays, it was usual for me to finish my work **quickly** and go
> straight to the classroom.  
>  Source: 例文.jp

## 早々{そうそう}

  * Used adverbially with the particle に; same meaning as 早々{はやばや}と (but they aren't interchangeable grammatically)
  * Can be used as a suffix to nouns with the meaning "right after ..." with particles から, に or no particle at all
  * This is apparently also used in formal letters. Please refer to these answers: [What's the appropriate 挨拶 for e-mails to a friend and for e-mails to customer service?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/15637/whats-the-appropriate-%E6%8C%A8%E6%8B%B6-for-e-mails-to-a-friend-and-for-e-mails-to-customer-se/15673)

Based on this information, 早々 should be read そうそう in both your sentences. In
the first one the 早々{そうそう} is used with the particle に. In the second sentence
早々{そうそう} is a suffix to 新年 and 「新年[早々]{そうそう}」 means "right after the start of
the new year" like it's translated.

