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N1

べく

For the purpose of, In order to, To ensure

地域ちいきの高齢者こうれいしゃの安全あんぜんを守まもるべく、交番こうばんが設置せっちされました。

A police box has been set up to keep the area's elderly residents safe.

Explanation

「Vべく」 means 'in order to V'. The first part is a strong goal or ambition, and the second is the major action taken for it. 「世界平和を実現すべく、活動を続けている」 (We keep working to achieve world peace), 「新薬を開発すべく、日夜研究に励んでいる」 (We work day and night to develop a new drug). For 「する」 the form is 「すべく」 (「するべく」 also exists, but 「すべく」 is what exams test). Elegant written style. The ending must be a concrete, intentional action, not a command, request or exclamation.

Negative fixed form 「Vべくもない」 means 'there is no way to': 「知るべくもない」.

Mixed up with

「ように」: to bring about a state or reach a goal not under your will: 「風邪をひかないように」.

「ために」: the plainest way to state purpose, fine in speech and writing.

「べく」: stiff written style with a strong sense of ambition and mission, for important undertakings.

Examples

  1. 息子むすこは医者いしゃになるべく、ここ3年間さんねんかんほぼ寝ねずに毎日まいにち勉強べんきょうをしている。

    In order to become a doctor, he has been studying these past 3 years without much sleep.

  2. 動物嫌どうぶつぎらいを克服こくふくすべく、最近さいきんは動物園どうぶつえんや牧場ぼくじょうに足あしを運はこぶようにしています。

    In order to overcome my dislike of animals, I have recently been making sure to lug myself off to places like the zoo and farms.

  3. 彼かれは研修医けんしゅういとなるべく、5年ねん以上いじょう医科大学いかだいがくで修練しゅうれんしました。

    In order to become a medical resident, he trained at medical school for more than five years.

Tested 2 times in past papers

N1 · Jul 2018, Q27N1 · Dec 2012, Q29