Breakdown of Что касается затрат, то их нужно минимизировать как можно скорее.
они
they
что
what
скоро
soon
нужно
it is necessary
Questions & Answers about Что касается затрат, то их нужно минимизировать как можно скорее.
How does the phrase как можно скорее work to mean "as soon as possible"?
The phrase как можно literally translates to "how it is possible." When you combine it with a comparative adverb—in this case, скорее (sooner or faster)—it creates the meaning "as [adverb] as possible." This is the standard way to maximize a comparative in Russian.
Can I use быстрее instead of скорее in this sentence?
Yes, absolutely. Как можно быстрее is practically interchangeable with как можно скорее here. Скорее emphasizes doing it "sooner" in time, while быстрее emphasizes doing it "faster," but in this business context, they mean the exact same thing.
Why do we need the word то after the comma?
It is part of a fixed structure. The phrase что касается [X], то [Y] translates to "as for [X], [Y]." The то acts as a bridge between the clauses, similar to "then." While English skips this connecting word, Russian requires it to make the sentence sound complete.
Why is затраты (costs) in the genitive case (затрат) here?
The verb касаться (to touch or concern) always governs the genitive case. Because the fixed phrase что касается literally means "what concerns...", the noun that follows it must be in the genitive. Here, we use the genitive plural form, затрат.