て当然だ|てとうぜんだ
- 1Something is a natural, unsurprising result given the stated circumstances.Ex. 1
- 2A negative outcome is the obvious consequence of someone's behavior.Ex. 2
- 3Something is the obviously proper or deserved course of action.
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Used in both speech and writing to judge an outcome as natural or deserved. It often follows a clause giving the reason, such as ～のだから, ～たら or ～なら, as in the examples. Compared with はずだ, which states the speaker's inference, て当然だ evaluates the outcome as natural or justified.
Do not attach 当然だ directly to the dictionary form, as in 勝つ当然だ; use 勝って当然だ or 勝つのは当然だ.
Note that the negative form uses なくて (知らなくて当然だ), not ないで.
Learners should note it can sound judgmental when applied to others' misfortunes, as in example 2.
- のももっともだN2「のももっともだ」attaches to the plain form + 「のも」 and likewise says a reaction or result is reasonable, but leans toward 'understandable, makes sense emotionally,' with a sympathetic tone and mostly evaluating others. 「て当然だ」 sounds more assertive; the two are often interchangeable but differ in nuance.
- てしかるべきだN1「てしかるべきだ」means things should be so by common sense or moral standards, often implying dissatisfaction that reality is not so; it is formal/written, attaches only to the て-form of verbs (often passive), and cannot be used for naturally resulting outcomes like 「体を壊して当然だ」.
- はずだN4「はずだ」attaches to the plain form (nouns + 「の」, な-adjectives + 「な」) and expresses inference-based expectation ('should be...'), with 「はずだった」 for unfulfilled expectations. 「て当然だ」 attaches to the て-form and evaluates reasonableness, so the two should not be swapped.
- べきだN2「べきだ」argues that one ought to do something on moral grounds, while 「て当然だ」 attaches to the て-form and evaluates a result, reaction, or behavior as only natural. 「怒って当然だ」 means 'being angry is understandable,' whereas 「怒るべきだ」 means 'you should get angry.'
- べくしてN1「べくして」must follow the pattern 'verb dictionary form + べくして + the same verb in た-form,' and only looks back to evaluate an outcome that has already happened, with a strong written flavor. 「て当然だ」 can attach to verbs and adjectives, evaluate reactions, feelings, or hypothetical situations, and works in both speech and writing.
のももっともだ expresses sympathy with someone's reaction as reasonable, and はずだ states an inference, whereas て当然だ judges a result as natural. べきだ and the formal てしかるべきだ state obligation or what ought to be, while the literary べくして describes something happening as it was bound to (起こるべくして起こった).
