The situation
The lender will need a borrowed tool this weekend.
English meaning: There's no rush, but could you return it by the weekend?
Read the Japanese original
急ぎませんが、週末までにお返しいただけますか。The questionHow should the return deadline be understood?
Read the explanation
Clues in the scene
There's no rush, but could you return it by the weekend?
The speaker reduces immediate pressure but separately specifies return by the weekend.
Each choice explained
Not immediately, but by the weekend — Best fit
It need not happen immediately, but the weekend is still a deadline. Both parts of the request can hold at once.
No deadline because it is not urgent — Does not fit
Reading this as having no deadline erases the explicit “by the weekend” condition.
Any time after the weekend is fine — Does not fit
After the weekend reverses the stated time limit and conflicts with the owner needing the tool then.
Return is no longer necessary — Does not fit
The speaker directly asks for its return. A gentle opening does not remove that action.
Same words, another scene
After an exhibition, a coordinator uses the same words while collecting borrowed tools. They do not need one personally at the weekend; they are organising storage on Monday.
The deadline stays the same, but its reason changes from personal use to a shared administrative task. The date is stated; its motivation comes from context.
I will bring it to the collection point on Saturday.
Literal meaning
It is not needed immediately, but the speaker asks whether it can be returned by the weekend.
What these words cannot tell us
The specific weekend day, handover location and available collection times are unstated.
A question to ask in real life
Would bringing it back on Saturday morning be early enough?