These three patterns carry a strong classical flavor, but they remain active in modern written Japanese — in official notices, legal documents, and formal prose.
べからず — Must Not, Shall Not
Structure: Verb dictionary form + べからず
The negative form of the classical auxiliary verb べし. It means "must not do..." or "should not do..." with a strong tone, commonly found on signs, rules, and proverbs.
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彼のような卑鄙な人は許すべからず。 → A despicable person like him must not be forgiven.
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芝生に入るべからず。 → Keep off the grass. (Common on signs)
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初心忘るべからず。 → One must not forget the beginner's mind. (Famous saying by Zeami)
べからず = classical negative prohibition. In modern Japanese, it appears in formal contexts or to emphasize an inviolable rule. Never used in casual speech.
べからざる — That Must Not Be... (Modifying a Noun)
Structure: Verb dictionary form + べからざる + Noun
The attributive form (noun-modifying form) of べからず. "Something that must not be X" → "an un-X-able N."
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人権は侵すべからざるものである。 → Human rights are something that must not be violated.
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彼の行為は許すべからざることだ。 → His actions are an unforgivable matter.
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これは欠くべからざる条件である。 → This is an indispensable condition.
べからざる = べからず + noun. Just remember this relationship: べからず ends a sentence, べからざる modifies a noun.
いかん (如何) — Depending On / Regardless Of
Structure: Noun + の + いかん + にかかわらず / によっては / では / を問わず
いかん comes from classical Japanese 如何 (いかん), meaning "how" or "in what way." In modern Japanese, it appears in three common combinations:
いかんにかかわらず / いかんを問わず — Regardless of...
No matter what X is, the conclusion remains the same.
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理由のいかんにかかわらず、欠席者は罰金を受ける。 → Regardless of the reason, absentees will be fined.
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国籍のいかんを問わず、すべての人に平等な権利がある。 → Regardless of nationality, all people have equal rights.
いかんでは / いかんによっては — Depending on...
The result may change based on X.
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成績のいかんでは、選手から外れる可能性がある。 → Depending on performance, there's a possibility of being dropped from the team.
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調査結果のいかんによっては、計画を変更する。 → Depending on the investigation results, the plan may be changed.
Common traits of the いかん family: (1) Extremely formal/written; (2) Used in official documents, notifications, legal texts; (3) Almost never used in spoken language.
Comparison
| Pattern | Meaning | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| べからず | Must not do X | Ends a sentence — prohibition/proverb |
| べからざる | That must not be X (+ noun) | Modifies a noun |
| いかんにかかわらず | Regardless of X | Emphasizes that conditions don't matter |
| いかんでは | Depending on X | Emphasizes that the result depends on conditions |
Summary
- べからず = classical prohibition "must not do X" — used on signs, in proverbs, in formal writing
- べからざる = attributive form of べからず, modifies nouns — "an un-X-able N"
- いかん = classical "how/in what way" — combined with にかかわらず for "regardless of," or では for "depending on"
Self-Test
Q1. Translate "This is an indispensable element" into Japanese using べからざる.
Show answer
これは欠くべからざる要素である。 "Indispensable" = 欠く + べからざる, modifying the noun 要素.
Q2. 「＿＿＿のいかんにかかわらず、全員参加してください。」 What type of word goes in the blank?
Show answer
A noun. For example: 理由のいかんにかかわらず (regardless of the reason), 事情のいかんにかかわらず (regardless of the circumstances). いかん is preceded by "noun + の."
Q3. What is the difference between べからず and べからざる?
Show answer
べからず is used at the end of a sentence, directly expressing prohibition ("must not do "). べからざる is the attributive form of べからず, used to modify a following noun (" that must not be done + noun"). Example: 許すべからず (must not forgive) vs 許すべからざる行為 (an unforgivable act).