べくして | Grammar

Structure

[verb (dictionary form)] + べくして + [same verb た-form]

Description

べくして says an outcome was bound to happen: the reasons were there all along, and anyone looking could have seen it coming. It follows the dictionary form of a verb, and the same verb comes straight after it, usually in the past. It is written and formal; in conversation the same verdict is とうぜん当然だ, "it was only natural".

。

It was an accident that was bound to happen.

。

He won as he was destined to win.

。

The two of them were destined to meet.

The outcome can be good or bad. With a failure, べくして puts the blame on what led up to it. With する verbs both するべくして and the more written すべくして occur.

。

That team lost as they were bound to lose.

、。

They took it on without preparing, so they failed as they were bound to.

The second verb is in the past because you are judging something that has already happened. A general truth keeps the present: じこ事故はおこる起こるべくしておこる起こる, "accidents happen for a reason".

べくして or べく

on its own means "in order to" and looks ahead to a goal. べくして looks back at a result, and it needs the verb repeated after it.

、。

I practised every day in order to win.

。

They won, as they were bound to.

× 勝つべくして、毎日練習した → 勝つべく、毎日練習した

Examples

。

He succeeded as he was destined to succeed.

。

This accident was something that was bound to happen.

。

The two were meant to be together.

。

That company went bankrupt as it was destined to.

。

She is a leader who was chosen as she was meant to be.

。

I think they were destined to meet.

。

That team won the championship just as they were expected to.

、。

His years of effort bore fruit, and he achieved success as was only natural.

。

That movie was a hit that was destined to be a hit.

、。

Having attempted it without enough preparation, they failed as was inevitable.

。

He is a genius who was born to be one.

。

That was a game we were bound to lose.

References

べくしてBunpro