できるだけ

できるだけ
adverb
as much as possible
1. as much as possible; to the extent one can
Emphasizes making maximum effort within one's capabilities.
I'll finish as quickly as possible.
I exercise every day as much as possible.
I'm looking for something as cheap as possible.
Before exams, I try to solve as many problems as possible.
I want to stay in Japan as long as possible, so I'm continuing to study Japanese while looking for work.

できるだけ literally means "to the extent that one can do" and emphasizes maximum effort within one's ability.

COMMON PATTERNS:

  • できるだけ(はや)く: as quickly as possible
  • できるだけ(おお)く: as much as possible
  • できるだけ(やす)く: as cheaply as possible

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • できるだけ: as much as possible (emphasizes effort/ability)
  • なるべく: as much as possible (softer, preference-based)
  • 精一杯(せいいっぱい): with all one's might (stronger)
  • できる(かぎ)り: to the extent possible (formal)

NOTE: できるだけ is more commonly used than できる(かぎ)り in everyday speech.