Grammar Info
N1 Lesson 5: 3/17

べくして
as expected, meant to, supposed to, destined to, sure to

Structure
(Intransitive) Verb［る］+ べくして + (Intransitive) Verb1［る］(1)
Verb［られる］［る］+ べくして + Verb［られる］［る］(1)

(1)Verb［られる］［た］
Structure Legend  
Details
Register Formal
使用域 硬い
Information
  • [A formal expression meaning that some event has taken place as foreseen]
  • [Used commonly with phrases like 起こる、出会う、勝つ、負ける、and なる]
  • [there is another construction AべくしてB[ない] where べくして means “even if”, however, this expression is much less common]
Slow Male
Hide All
Hide Japanese
Hide English
タイトル：「俺（おれ）の青春（せいしゅん）ラブコメはまちがいになるべくしてなった。」
Title: "As expected, my romantic youth comedy was a blunder."
Play  
  • Copy Japanese
    • 壊（こわ）れた一時停止（いちじていし）標識（ひょうしき）を放置（ほうち）した結果（けっか）、起（お）こるべくして起（お）こった交通事故（こうつうじこ）だ。
    As expected, the result of neglecting a broken stop sign was a traffic accident.
    [起こる is the most common expression used with べくして]
    Play  
  • Copy Japanese
    • 「これらの二人（ふたり）は、専門分野（せんもんぶんや）も年齢（ねんれい）も共（とも）に近（ちか）いゆえに出会（であ）うべくして出会（であ）ったと言（い）えるだろう。」
    As expected, one can say that these two met because they both shared fields of expertise and were close in age.
    Play  
  • Copy Japanese
    • Sign up to add custom sentences!
    Online
    べき Phrases
    Imabi
    Books
    Try N1
    Page 79
    Shin Kanzen Master N1 Bunpou
    Page 100
    A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar
    Page 36
    Your Progress