なるべく (narubeku) Meaning Japanese Grammar - As Much as Possible
Anna Baffa Volpe
4 min reading time
Updated on 18 February 2023
The adverb なるべく (narubeku) has the meanings of as much as possible, as much as you can, wherever practicable.
In this post we learn more about the meaning of なるべく, how it is formed and when なるべく is used through real example sentences.
We will also see the expressions 出来るだけ and 可能な限り used to express the same concept.
How なるべく is formed
なるべく is generally written in hiragana and it is composed:
- by the verb 成る
become - and by 可く meaning
in order to,for the purpose ofand alsobe permissible.
⇨ as each opportunity becomes
It is translated: as much as possibile, wherever practicable.
We have other expressions used with a similar meaning:
- 出来るだけ
as much as possible; an expression containing the verb 出来るcanand the particle だけonly,just.
We also find:
- 可能な限り where 可能な is a な Adjective meaning
possible,feasibleand 限り a noun meaninglimit⇨to the extent possible,as much as possible.
レポートは、なるべく早く出してください。
Please submit your report as soon as possible.
We can express the same concept by saying:
レポートは、可能な限り早く出してください。
Please submit your report as soon as possible..
A more colloquial and informal way to say なるべく is なるたけ.
なるたけ早く帰ってくるよ。
I'll be back as soon as I can..
なるべく早く when you are in a hurry
A commonly used expression in Japanese is なるべく and the adverb 早く which means soon, quickly, early and is used when stating that an action will be done as soon as possible or when asking to do something as soon as possible.
急ぐとき when you are in a hurry
なるべく早く返事をします。
I will reply as soon as possible..
When it is better to avoid なるべく
なるべく is used when making a request to someone, but it is not recommended to use it towards a 目上の人, a superior, it would be indelicate and impolite.
It is not polite to ask a superior for a quick reply even if you ask the question using the honorific language Keigo.
In this case we have to use an entirely different phrase and expression.
If we need an answer or some documents by a certain date:
4月12日が期日のため、ご対応をお願いします。
I would appreciate your attention, because April 12th is the deadline..
対応 is a noun meaning correspondence, response; it refers to the fact of dealing with the matter
⇨ I would ask you the courtesy of dealing with this matter by 12 April.
Examples of なるべく
赤ちゃんがいるので、なるべく小さな声で話してください。
Please speak as quietly as possible, as there is a baby (in the room)..
なるべく小さくカットする。
Cut as small as possible.
なるべく子供達に任せたほうがいいのよ。
It's better to leave it up to the children!
