This is the 77th most frequent Dutch word.
eerder
Earlier; sooner.
'Eerder' is used to express a preference or inclination, representing 'rather' in a qualitative comparison.
Hij gedraagt zich eerder serieus dan grappig.
He behaves rather seriously than funny.
'Eerder' indicates a prior occurrence of an event, referring to 'before'.
Ik heb hem al eerder gezien.
I have seen him before.
Comparing the timing of returning home to expectations, 'eerder' is used in a comparative sense referring to time.