なるべく (naru beku)
なるべく — as much as possible
Pattern
-
なるべく＋動詞（依頼・努力）なるべく早く返事をください: please do it as soon as possible -
なるべく〜ようにする／ないほうがいいI try to ～ / it is better not to ～ if possible
Meaning and use
Put it before words of degree, as in なるべく早く or なるべく多く, to say you want to do it as far as possible. It goes well with requests (〜てください), efforts (〜ようにしている) and advice (〜ほうがいい).
Compared with できるだけ
The meaning is almost the same and they can be swapped. なるべく is common in everyday talk and sounds slightly softer, while できるだけ suggests a bit more effort and also suits formal situations.
Examples
-
なるべく早（はや）く返事（へんじ）をください。
Narubeku hayaku henji o kudasai.
Please reply as soon as possible.
A polite request.
-
体（からだ）のために、なるべく歩（ある）くようにしている。
Karada no tame ni, narubeku aruku yō ni shite iru.
For my health, I try to walk as much as possible.
〜ようにしている shows a habit of trying.
-
甘（あま）い物（もの）は、なるべく食（た）べないほうがいい。
Amai mono wa, narubeku tabenai hō ga ii.
It's better to eat as few sweets as possible.
Used with advice: ～ないほうがいい.
Common mistakes
- It does not mean “definitely.” It means “as far as possible,” so use 必ず for things that must be done.
- It is not normally used for completed past facts. Use it in requests, efforts and advice.
More grammar points
- あまり あまりの～に — so ～ that ～
- あまりにも あまりにも — far too ～, excessively
- ば～ほど ～ば～ほど — the more ～, the more ～
- 別（べつ）に～ない 別に～ない — not particularly ～
- だけ だけ — only, just; as much as ～
- どうしても どうしても — no matter what, absolutely
- ほど ～ほど — to the extent of ～
- ほど～ない A ほど～ない — not as ～ as A
- 決（けっ）して～ない 決して～ない — never ～
- くらい / ぐらい くらい／ぐらい — about ～, to the extent of ～
- めったに～ない めったに～ない — rarely ～
- なかなか なかなか — quite / (not) easily
- に比（くら）べて ～に比べて — compared with ～
- さえ ～さえ — even ～
- せいぜい せいぜい — at most / at best
- 数量（すうりょう） + は 数量＋は — “at least (amount)”
- とても～ない とても～ない — “can't possibly ～”
- よりも ～よりも — “more than ～ / rather than ～”
Practice this in the app
Mainichi JLPT turns these grammar points into daily quizzes and a readiness gauge — 100% free, no sign-up.