べくもない

べくもない is a formal, literary expression meaning "there is no way to…", "cannot possibly…", or "it is impossible to…". It conveys a strong sense that something is utterly beyond possibility – not merely difficult, but fundamentally unattainable.

It attaches to the dictionary form of a verb (with the classical auxiliary べし in its conjunctive form べく), followed by もない to emphatically negate even the possibility.

Formation

Verb (dictionary form) + べくもない

For する, the classical form すべくもない is used.

Nuance

This pattern is considerably stronger than simply saying 〜～できない. While できない states an inability, べくもない conveys that the action is so far beyond reach that it is not even worth considering. It often carries a tone of resignation or awe.

Common verbs

べくもない frequently appears with a limited set of verbs, especially:

• しる知る → 知るべくもない (no way to know)
• くらべる比べる → 比べるべくもない (no way to compare)
• そうぞう想像する → 想像すべくもない (impossible to imagine)
• よそう予想する → 予想すべくもない (impossible to foresee)
• のぞむ望む → 望むべくもない (impossible to hope for)

Usage notes

This is a written/literary expression and is rarely used in casual conversation. You will encounter it in novels, essays, formal speeches, and news commentary. It is characteristic of N1-level grammar.