Grammar Info

N1 Lesson 9: 17/20

べくもない

No (doubt or hope), There is no way, It is impossible, Not a hope in hell

Structure

Verb + べくもない

Exceptions:
［する］Verb + す(1) + べくもない

(1) する

Details

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    Standard

  • 使用域

    硬い

Rare Kanji

可く

About べくもない

As mentioned in the several other grammar structures that include べく, this structure is the conjunctive form of the classical auxiliary verb べし ‘shall’. It will be attached to the dictionary form of verbs in order to convey the purpose, necessity, or likelihood of an action. When combined with the adverbial particle も, and the い-Adjective ない, it is often translated as ‘it is impossible to (A)’, or ‘there is no way to (A)’.
  • 自分(じぶん)が作(つく)ったパスタはあの有名(ゆうめい)シェフが作(つく)るパスタと比(くら)べるべくもないが、結構(けっこう)おいしいと思(おも)う。
    It is impossible to compare the pasta I made with the one made by that famous chef, but I think mine is quite good.
  • あの顔(かお)を見(み)てみろ、あいつが彼(かれ)を殺(ころ)したという事(こと)は疑(うたが)うべくもない。
    Look at that face, there is no doubt that they are the one that killed him.
  • 私(わたし)自身(じしん)が先生(せんせい)になるまでは、先生(せんせい)の大変(たいへん)さなど知(し)るべくもなかった。
    Until I became a teacher myself, I could never have known how hard it is to be a teacher.
べくもない is a pattern that usually appears with verbs highlighting the thinking or emotions of the speaker, and how that action is impossible or inconceivable for them.
Caution
In the case of する, べく may be connected directly to する, or to the stem, す.
  • あの中古車(ちゅうこしゃ)販売店(はんばいてん)が詐欺(さぎ)まがいなことをやっていたということは、否定(ひてい)するべくもない事実(じじつ)だ。
    There is no doubt that that used car dealership was doing something that could be considered as a scam.
  • そんな解決策(かいけつさく)では問題(もんだい)が解決(かいけつ)すべくもない。
    There is no way that we can solve the problem with such a solution.

Examples

  • 小説(しょうせつ)：「戦力差(せんりょくさ)は歴然(れきぜん)としているゆえ、まともな勝負(しょうぶ)は望(のぞ)むべくもない。」

    Novel: 'Since the difference in strength is clear, there is no hope of a decent match.'

  • いくら頑張(がんば)ったところで、絵(え)は写真(しゃしん)にはおよぶべくもないのである。

    No matter how much one tries, a drawing is no match for a photograph.

  • 地球(ちきゅう)温暖化(おんだんか)は人間(にんげん)活動(かつどう)と直接(ちょくせつ)関係(かんけい)があるということは疑(うたが)うべくもない。

    There is no doubt that global warming is directly linked to human influence.

  • 小説(しょうせつ)：「今回(こんかい)、彼(かれ)は危害(きがい)を免(まぬか)れたにせよ、そのように運転(うんてん)を続(つづ)けていては将来(しょうらい)は彼(かれ)に何事(なにごと)が起(おこ)りかねぬかは、知(し)るべくもない。」

    Novel: 'Even though he escaped injury this time, there is no way to know what might happen to him in the future if he continues driving like that.'

  • 小説(しょうせつ)：「この真(ま)正直(しょうじき)な少年(しょうねん)に、嘘(うそ)をつくなど望(のぞ)むべくもない。」

    Novel: 'There's not a hope in hell that this honest boy would lie.'

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