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kondo ha hayame ni renrakusimasu.

今度こんど　は　早はやめ　に　連絡れんらくします。kondo ha hayame ni renrakusimasu.
Next time, I will contact you early.
FromLesson 20inHardcore Japanese
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Questions & Answers about kondo ha hayame ni renrakusimasu.

Does 今度 mean this time or next time here?

今度 can mean either this time or next time, and context decides which. In an apologetic or corrective context, 今度は早めに連絡します usually means Next time, I’ll contact you earlier (contrasting with what happened last time). If you’re talking about an ongoing or imminent event, it can mean This time, I’ll contact you early.

To avoid ambiguity:

  • Use 今回 for clearly this time: 今回は早めに連絡します.
  • Use 次回 or 次は for clearly next time: 次回は早めに連絡します.
Why is は used after 今度? Could I use に instead?
は marks 今度 as the topic and adds a contrastive feel: as for this/next time (unlike last time), I’ll do X. 今度に is not natural here. に is a time-marker for specific points like 土曜日に; 今度に連絡します sounds off. You might see 今度には in the sense of by that time, but that’s a different structure and not what’s needed here.
What nuance does 早めに add compared with 早く?
  • 早めに = on the early side, earlier than usual/expected, proactively early.
  • 早く = early or quickly, without the nuance of being earlier than the norm.

So 早めに連絡します implies a conscious effort to be earlier than before or than what’s typical. If you want ASAP, say なるべく早く or できるだけ早く.

What is 早め grammatically?

早め is formed by the suffix –め, which attaches to adjective stems to mean somewhat/–ish/on the X side. It’s a noun-like word:

  • As an adverb: 早めに (leave early-ish).
  • As an attributive: 早めの (an early-ish …).

Common –め words: 多め, 少なめ, 厚め, 固め, 長め, 短め, 弱め. Spelling 早め (kana) is common; 早目 is also seen.

Why is there に after 早め? Can I drop it?
Use に to make 早め work adverbially: 早めに連絡します. Without に, it sounds unnatural in this position. Alternatively, recast as a noun phrase: 早めの連絡をします.
Can I say 早いに or 早いめに?

No.

  • Adverb of 早い is 早く, not 早いに.
  • The –め form drops the final い: 早めに, not 早いめに. (You may hear 〜いめ in some dialects, but it’s nonstandard in Tokyo Japanese.)
Who is being contacted, and how do I say it explicitly?

It’s implied from context (usually the listener). To be explicit:

  • Person: Xに連絡します (contact X), e.g., 田中さんに連絡します.
  • Method: 電話します, メールします, メッセージを送ります.
  • Combine: 田中さんにメールで連絡します. Related patterns:
  • Xと連絡を取る = get in touch with X / keep in contact.
  • 連絡し合う = contact each other.
  • Xから連絡がある = hear from X.
  • 連絡がつく = be able to reach someone.
Should it be 連絡します or 連絡をします?
Both are correct. With する-verbs, Nをする and Nする are both possible. 連絡します is the more common, smoother choice in speech; 連絡をします can sound a bit more deliberate or formal but isn’t necessary.
Is ご連絡します correct? What’s the most polite way to say this?

ご連絡します is widely used and polite, but for formal or business contexts the humble forms are preferred:

  • ご連絡いたします (safe, standard humble).
  • ご連絡差し上げます (very respectful). Plain polite without honorific prefix is 連絡します; adding ご often sounds nicer but doesn’t make it humble by itself.
How polite is 今度は早めに連絡します, and how can I adjust the politeness?

It’s plain polite. Variations:

  • More polite/humble: 今度は早めにご連絡いたします; 今度は早めにご連絡差し上げます.
  • Softer/friendlier: 今度は早めに連絡しますね.
  • Casual: 今度は早めに連絡するね.
Could I leave out は after 今度?
You might hear 今度早めに連絡します in casual speech, but 今度は is the natural choice when you want the contrastive nuance (as for this/next time). Dropping は weakens that contrast.
Can I use 今回 or 次回 instead of 今度 to remove ambiguity?

Yes:

  • 今回は早めに連絡します = clearly this time.
  • 次回は早めに連絡します or 次は早めに連絡します = clearly next time. Note: 今度こそ emphasizes this time for sure, but 今度 itself remains context-dependent.
Is the word order fixed? Can I say 早めに今度は連絡します?

The natural order is Topic/Time → Manner → Verb:

  • 今度は 早めに 連絡します. Other orders like 早めに今度は連絡します sound awkward. You can sometimes tag the topic after the clause for emphasis: 早めに連絡します、今度は, but the given order is best.
Does します here express a promise or the future?
Japanese doesn’t have a dedicated future tense. 連絡します can state a plan, intention, or promise depending on context. With 今度は, it often reads like a promise or commitment. To make the promise feel stronger, add 必ず or ちゃんと: 今度は必ず早めに連絡します.
What’s the difference between 連絡する, 連絡を取る, and using specific methods like 電話する or メールする?
  • 連絡する: to contact (general catch-all).
  • 連絡を取る: to establish/maintain contact (two-way implication or effort).
  • 電話する / メールする: specifies the medium; use these when you want to say how you’ll contact. Combined examples: 電話で連絡します, メールでご連絡いたします.
Are spaces normal in Japanese writing?
No. Learners sometimes insert spaces to show word boundaries, but standard Japanese doesn’t. The sentence is normally written as 今度は早めに連絡します。

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