The Meaning of dekiru dake [出来るだけ] In Japanese

出来るだけ
できるだけ
Romaji: dekiru dake N5

What does 出来るだけ mean?

Translation and Meaning

as much as possible, as far as possible, to the best of one’s ability

Definition

What does 出来るだけ mean? It means performing an action to the greatest extent feasible within one’s abilities or constraints, used before a verb to express maximum effort or extent in both formal and casual registers.

Type

adverbial phrase (副詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • 1) Maximum extent: as much as can be done in a given situation.
  • 2) Degree modulation: commonly paired with verbs or adjectives to mark effort or quantity, as in 出来るだけ早く, 出来るだけ多く.
  • 3) Politeness and practicality: conveys earnest intent without guaranteeing outcomes; implies effort within possible limits.

Etymology

出来る + だけ; 出来る is the verb meaning to be able or to be possible, built from the bound form 出来; だけ is a particle meaning only or as much as; together they form a fixed adverbial phrase meaning to the greatest extent feasible.

Composition

  • 出来: a bound form from 出来る, conveying ‘to be possible’ or ‘done’;
  • だけ: particle meaning ‘only’ or ‘as much as’;

Usage

Used before verbs to indicate maximal effort or extent within practical limits; common in both casual speech and formal writing; it often precedes a verb to modify the action and can pair with adjectives to describe degree, speed, or quantity.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: think of 出来る as something that must ‘come out’ as possible; add だけ to push the limit to the maximum extent allowable.

Variations

  • できる限り (dekiru kagiri) — same meaning, kana/kanji variant; romaji dekiru kagiri.
  • なるべく (narubeku) — closely related synonym; romaji narubeku.
  • 最大限 (saidai-gen) — noun/phrase meaning ‘maximum extent’; romaji saidaigen.

Example Phrases

  • 出来るだけ早く準備を整えて、皆で会議に参加します。
    dekiru dake hayaku junbi wo totonoete, minna de kaigi ni sanka shimasu.
    I’ll prepare as quickly as possible and join the meeting with everyone.
    Lista:
    • 出来るだけ (dekiru dake) – as much as possible
    • 早く (hayaku) – quickly
    • 準備を (junbi wo) – preparation
    • 整えて (totonoete) – to arrange
    • 皆で (minna de) – everyone together
    • 会議に (kaigi ni) – to the meeting
    • 参加します (sanka shimasu) – participate
    Use 「出来るだけ」 to mean ‘as much as possible’ before a verb, as in 「出来るだけ早く」 meaning ‘as quickly as possible’.
出来るだけ