📖 Japanese Grammar Guide N1: ～べく

📌 What is this grammar?

～べく is a formal, literary grammar structure used to mean:

• “In order to…”
• “For the purpose of…”

It’s often used in written, official, or academic contexts to express the goal or purpose behind an action.

📖 Structure

📌 Note:

• する → するべく / すべく
  (both are used, but すべく is a bit more classical)

🎨 Meaning in Context

Used when:

• Explaining the purpose, intention, or aim of a certain action.
• Prefacing an action done for a reason, especially in formal writing.

English equivalents:

• “In order to…”
• “For the purpose of…”
• “With the intention of…”

📚 Example Sentences

📌 Nuances & Tone

• This is a very formal, literary expression.
• Rarely used in casual conversations — mostly appears in:
  • Newspaper articles
  • Academic papers
  • Business reports
  • Official speeches

It has a serious, resolute tone — often emphasizing the deliberate effort toward a goal.

📝 Comparison with Similar Patterns

Example:

• 合格するために、勉強する。 → normal
• 合格すべく、勉強する。 → very formal, literary

✅ Practice Exercise

Translate into Japanese using ～べく:

1. In order to reduce expenses, the company introduced new policies.
2. In order to protect nature, laws were created.
3. In order to study Japanese, I came to Japan.

Possible Answers:

1. 費用を削減すべく、会社は新しい方針を導入した。
2. 自然を守るべく、法律が作られた。
3. 日本語を学ぶべく、日本に来た。

📝 Summary Table

📑 Pro Tip:

You’ll often encounter this in:

• N1 reading comprehension passages
• 新聞 (newspapers)
• ビジネスレター (business letters)
• 公式発表 (official announcements)