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]
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]
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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."
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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]
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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.
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Online
Books
Try N1
Page 79
Shin Kanzen Master N1 Bunpou
Page 100
A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar
Page 36