べくしてas was bound to happen
The same verb twice, with べくして between: it happened, and given how things stood it was always going to. You'll meet it in news analysis and commentary; in everyday talk people say 当然だ.
Inspection records had been falsified for years, and warnings had been ignored. The accident was bound to happen.
After all her training and preparation, she won, as she was bound to.
How to form it
Verb in the dictionary form + べくして + the same verb
The second verb is usually in the past. する gives すべくして or するべくして.
- What it says
- It was no accident. A good result was earned; a bad one was coming all along.
- Often
- 起こるべくして起こった (bound to happen), 勝つべくして勝った (a deserved win), 負けるべくして負けた (a deserved defeat), 出会うべくして出会った (meant to meet). Other verbs can do it too.
- Where you'll meet it
- News analysis, accident reports, sports commentary, essays. It isn't chatty, but the stock pairs are said aloud too: a coach or a commentator summing up.
In use
This was an accident waiting to happen.
Often before a noun.
Unable to fix its defensive problems, the team lost, as it was bound to.
The two had been chasing the same problem in different places, and were bound to meet.
Of a meeting, it is fate.
He was always going to end up as president.
Other words can come between the two verbs.
The other べ forms
All come from べし, the old word behind べきだ. Each means something different.
べくN1
"In order to": the ために of formal writing.
The government established an expert panel in order to rebuild regional medical services.
べくもないN1
"No way to", after a few verbs such as 望む and 知る.
As things stand, total victory is out of the question.
"Must not", on old signs and in maxims; べからざる before a noun.
Do not enter beyond this gate.
べきだN3
"Should": the everyday one, which you already know.
Experts should honestly admit what they don't know.
Close neighbours
て当然だN2
What people say: after that, of course it happened.
After years of use, of course the parts wear out.
Check yourself
1Which one fits?
準備不足の
Choose an answer to see why.
2What does this mean?
彼女は
Choose an answer to see why.
More sentences
The organization ignored its internal conflicts and collapsed, as it was bound to.
With years of research and accumulated know-how behind it, that invention was bound to come.
The product anticipated changes in the market and was steadily improved, so it earned the support it was bound to receive.
As the facts were checked, the unsupported rumor faded away, as it was bound to.