Skip to content

べからず・まじき: the difference

Meaning

Do not, Must not, Should not, Cannot

Past papers

Not yet

Example

空気くうきは生いきるに欠かくべからざるものだ。

Air is indispensable to life.

Meaning

Unbecoming of, Unworthy of, Not proper for, Should not, Must not, Cannot

Past papers

Tested once in past papers

Example

リヒャルトは王おうとしてあるまじき汚名おめいを着きせられ、やがて廃位はいいされた。

Richard was tarred with the stigma unbecoming of the position of the king and was eventually dethroned.

How to tell them apart

「べからず」: a prohibition aimed at the general public in notices and rules; use 「べからざる」 before nouns.

「まじき」: aimed at a particular status or job, 'what someone in that role must never do', usually 「〜にあるまじき態度」.

Sentence-final 「な」: a blunt spoken ban, as in 「行くな」; rough, not for formal use.

All about べからず ›All about まじき ›