1.
as soon as possible; as quickly as one can
Very common in both spoken and written Japanese.
できるだけ早く来てください。
Please come as soon as possible.
できるだけ早く返事をお願いします。
I would appreciate a reply as soon as possible.
問題が見つかったら、できるだけ早く報告してほしい。
If you find a problem, I'd like you to report it as soon as possible.
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.
VARIATIONS:
- 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).
SIMILAR WORDS:
- なるべく早く: as soon as possible (slightly softer tone)
- 至急: urgently (more commanding, business-like)
- 大至急: most urgently (very strong)