1.
as soon as possible; as quickly as one can
Very common in both spoken and written Japanese.
Composed of できるだけ (as much as possible) + 早く (quickly). One of the most frequently used expressions for urgency in Japanese. Equivalent to English "ASAP" but without the acronym's abruptness.
Forms
- できるだけ早く: standard form
- なるべく早く: nearly synonymous, slightly more casual
- できる限り早く: slightly more formal variant
- 至急: urgent (more formal and direct, used in business)
Usage
In business email, できるだけ早く is polite enough for most situations. For greater formality, use できる限り早く or add お願いいたします. The pattern できるだけ + adjective/adverb works for other qualities too: できるだけ安く (as cheaply as possible), できるだけ静かに (as quietly as possible).