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Grammar detail: べき

べき
should; ought to
87 words
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verb plain form
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べき(だ)
means
should ~; ought to ~
べき expresses the idea that in the speaker's judgment, the subject ought to do something. It is not as strong as 'must do' forms such as なければならない, but it is stronger than 'suggestion' forms such as
ほう
方
がいい.
べき is an 'auxiliary', meaning it is placed after the verb that it modifies.
わか
若
い
とき
時
にはたくさん
ほん
本
を
よ
読
む
べきだ。
One should read a lot of books when one is young.
その
おとこ
男
は
ちしき
知識
の
いずみ
泉
ともいうべき
ひと
人
だった。
The man was a fountain of knowledge.
にく
肉
を
た
食
べる
まえ
前
に
こま
細
かく
き
切
る
べきです。
You should cut up your meat before you eat it.
When べき follows the verb する, it can optionally be shortened to すべき with no change in meaning:
か
借
りた
もの
物
はなくさないようにすべきです。
You should not lose anything borrowed.
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Kanji used in this grammar

方
ホウ   かた way, direction   
若
ジャク   ニャク   わかい young   もしくは or   
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時
ジ   とき time, occasion   
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本
ホン   book   もと origin   
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読
ドク   トク   トウ   よむ to read   
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男
ダン   ナン   おとこ male, man   
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知
チ   しる to know   
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識
シキ    knowledge, discrimination   
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泉
セン   いずみ spring   
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人
ジン   ニン   ひと person   
肉
ニク   meat
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食
ショク   ジキ    food   たべる to eat   くう to eat   
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前
ゼン   まえ before   
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細
サイ   ほそい thin   ほそる to get thin, taper off   こまか    こまかい detailed, fine   
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切
セツ   サイ   きる to cut   きれる to break, to snap   
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借
シャク   かりる to borrow   
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物
ブツ   モツ   もの thing   
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