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JLPT N3 · Requests, permission & prohibition

べきではない (beki dewa nai)

～べきではない — should not ～

In short · The negative of ～べきだ. It says that something should not be done by common sense or morals: “should not / ought not to.” It attaches to the dictionary form of a verb. It is used for warnings, rules and moral judgments.
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Pattern

  • 動詞辞書形 ＋ べきではない／べきではありません 言うべきではない (should not say)
  • べきではない／べきじゃない／べきでない variants: べきじゃない (casual), べきでない (formal, written)

Meaning

Add ではない after べき to say that the action is not right: そんなことを言うべきではない. It is a strong judgment about what is morally or socially wrong. 人の秘密を勝手に話すべきではない is a typical example.

Do not change the order

The negative goes after べき, not before: ～ないべきだ is wrong. Forms such as ～べきじゃない (casual) and ～べきでない (written) are also common. Like ～べきだ, it can sound like a lecture, so be careful about how you say it.

Examples

  • そんなことを言（い）うべきではない。

    Sonna koto o iu beki dewa nai.

    You shouldn't say such a thing.

  • 人（ひと）の秘密（ひみつ）を勝手（かって）に話（はな）すべきではない。

    Hito no himitsu o katte ni hanasu beki dewa nai.

    You shouldn't tell someone's secret without permission.

  • 感情（かんじょう）だけで大切（たいせつ）なことを決（き）めるべきではない。

    Kanjō dake de taisetsu na koto o kimeru beki dewa nai.

    You shouldn't decide important things based on emotions alone.

Common mistakes

  • Put the negative after べき: 言うべきではない, not 言わないべきだ.
  • It is a strong moral judgment. For mild advice, ～ないほうがいい is gentler.

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