aussitôt & aussitôt que possible

ByFast French

The French words aussitôt and aussitôt que possible are used to express immediacy or promptness. While they share similarities with English terms like “immediately” and “as soon as possible,” their usage follows specific grammatical patterns in French.

1. “Aussitôt” (immediately, right away)

Aussitôt functions as an adverb meaning “immediately” or “right away.” It emphasizes that an action occurs without delay.

Usage examples:

  • Il est parti aussitôt après le dîner. (He left immediately after dinner.)
  • Elle a reconnu son erreur et s’est excusée aussitôt. (She recognized her mistake and apologized right away.)
  • Aussitôt arrivé, il a appelé sa mère. (As soon as he arrived, he called his mother.)
  • Le médecin est venu aussitôt. (The doctor came immediately.)

Fixed expressions with “aussitôt”:

  • Aussitôt dit, aussitôt fait. (No sooner said than done.)
  • Aussitôt après (Immediately after)

2. “Aussitôt que possible” (as soon as possible)

This phrase is a more urgent version of dès que possible and is used to request or indicate prompt action.

Usage examples:

  • Répondez-moi aussitôt que possible. (Reply to me as soon as possible.)
  • Je terminerai ce travail aussitôt que possible. (I will finish this work as soon as possible.)
  • Veuillez envoyer les documents aussitôt que possible. (Please send the documents as soon as possible.)
  • Nous réglerons ce problème aussitôt que possible. (We will resolve this issue as soon as possible.)

Comparison with “dès que possible”:

  • Aussitôt que possible suggests greater urgency.
  • Dès que possible is slightly more neutral but still prompt.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Incorrect: Je le ferai aussitôt. (Correct if meaning “I’ll do it right now,” but not for future actions.)
  • Correct: Je le ferai aussitôt que possible. (I’ll do it as soon as possible.)

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • éditer

    ByFast French

    The French verb “éditer” is a regular verb that belongs to the first group of verbs ending in “-er.” It is most commonly translated as “to edit” in English, but it can also mean “to publish” depending on the context. Conjugation of “éditer” Like other regular “-er” verbs, “éditer” follows a predictable pattern in its…

  • to postpone

    ByFast French

    The English verb to postpone can be translated into French in several ways, depending on the formality, context, and the nature of what is being delayed. The most common French equivalents include reporter, remettre, repousser, décaler, ajourner, and différer. Some of these verbs are close synonyms, but their usage can differ based on the setting…

  • | |

    Devant

    ByFast French

    The French word “devant” can be used as a preposition, as an adverb, or as a noun. Preposition As a preposition, “devant” means “in front of,” “ahead of” or “before.” Adverb As an adverb, “devant” means “in front,” “at the front,” or “ahead.” Noun As a masculine noun, “le devant” means “the front.”

  • -at and -ship

    ByFast French

    The French noun ending -at and the English noun ending -ship share a historical connection in some words, as both can indicate a state, condition, or office. However, this correlation is not absolute, and there are exceptions due to differences in linguistic evolution, borrowing history, and analogy with other word formations. 1. The Connection Between…

  • ils vs elles

    ByFast French

    French uses the masculine plural as the default when a group includes at least one male. This applies to pronouns, adjectives, and past participles. the basic rule If a group has both males and females, the pronoun is ils, even if there is only one male. This rule is standard in modern French. when to…

  • mener vs porter

    ByFast French

    French has two large families of verbs that often cause trouble for learners: verbs built on mener and verbs built on porter. They often look alike because they take the same prefixes such as ap-, em-, ra-, and re-. Yet the basic split is simple. Verbs based on mener usually mean to lead, guide, take,…