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* 早く行った方が良かったでしょう。

Here, if we take it apart we shall have:

  * 早く(Adverb) 行った(Verb, Past tense) 方(?) が(GA, Subject particle) 良かったでしょう(Verb, Past tense) 。

What is the function of 方 in this position? I've read that it can be suffix,
suffix of what?
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2012-08-20T10:17:58.327
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2022-01-30T23:40:38.713
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comparative-constructions
What is 方 used for in 早く行った方が良かったでしょう?
A方{ほう}がB means "more B if A" or "B-er if A":

> 早く行った **方が良かった** でしょう。  
>  It _would have been better_ [more good] if (we/you/I etc) had gone early,
> would it not?

The 方 here indicates a direction/side when comparing 2 or more things, in this
case implying going early would have been better than going later.
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2012-08-20T11:11:39.110
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2022-01-30T23:35:11.953
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I agree with Cypher's explanation, and with the definition of 方 as a noun.

I would like to propose an alternative translation of the sentence:

> 早く行った方が良かったでしょう。
>
> "The sooner you went, the better."
>
> "The sooner you had gone, the better."
>
> "It probably would have been better if you had gone sooner."
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2012-08-20T16:38:38.343
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2022-01-30T23:36:34.780
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