べくして
- 1Indicates that a bad event was bound to happen because of what led up to it.Ex. 1
- 2Indicates that a good result was naturally obtained as the deserved outcome of prior effort.Ex. 2
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A written, literary expression found in commentary, reporting, and reflective evaluations of events. It typically appears as 〜べくして〜た, looking back on a result and linking it to causes that are often stated explicitly, such as 長年の安全軽視 or 日々の努力. Unlike 案の定, which highlights that a prediction came true, it stresses that the outcome followed necessarily from its causes.
Do not use two different verbs; the same verb must appear before and after べくして.
Note that the second verb is typically in the past tense, since the pattern evaluates an outcome that has already occurred.
Learners sometimes read べくして as the purpose form べく, but here it expresses inevitability, not intention.
- べくN1「べく」 expresses purpose ('in order to...') and is followed by the action the subject takes to achieve that goal; 「べくして」 must use the same verb before and after, with the second occurrence in the た form, indicating the result was bound to happen. The two differ in meaning and cannot be interchanged.
- べくもないN1「べくもない」 attaches to the dictionary form of a verb and means something is utterly impossible or out of the question; 「べくして」 must take the pattern 「V1べくしてV1た」, indicating the result was inevitable and indeed happened. Both are written-style expressions, but they differ in meaning and cannot be interchanged.
- べからずN1「べからず」 expresses prohibition ('must not...'), used at the end of a sentence or to modify nouns as 「べからざる」 or 「べからぬ」; 「べくして」 instead indicates that the result was bound to happen. Both are written-style expressions, but they differ in meaning and cannot be interchanged.
- べきだN2「べきだ」 means 'should' as a matter of principle, expressing a claim or recommendation (「べきだった」 often expresses regret); 「べくして」 is not about what ought to be, but uses 「V辞書形べくしてVた」 to look back on a result that was inevitable and did in fact happen. They cannot be interchanged.
- てしかるべきだN1「てしかるべきだ」 attaches to the て form of a verb and means 'rightly ought to be so' by common sense or moral standards, often implying dissatisfaction that reality is not so; 「べくして」 looks back on a result that has already occurred, emphasizing its inevitability. The two cannot be interchanged.
- 案の定N1「案の定」 is an adverb, usually placed at the start of a sentence, that only indicates a prediction or worry came true, typically for bad outcomes, with a neutral register; 「べくして」 must repeat the same verb, emphasizes causal inevitability, works for good or bad outcomes, and leans written-style. They cannot be directly substituted for each other.
Unlike べく (in order to), べくもない (there is no way to), べからず (must not), べきだ (should), and てしかるべきだ (it would be only natural/appropriate that), べくして repeats the same verb to say a past outcome was inevitable. 案の定 marks that a result matched what someone had predicted, whereas べくして stresses that the result followed necessarily from its causes.
