modality N2 uncommon politewritten
〜べきか — should one ~?
〜べきか ・ べきか
Builds on 〜べきだ
Meaning
- should one ~? / ought we to ~? — raises the question of what is the right thing to do
Key sentence
この問題にどう対応すべきか、考えている。
I'm thinking about how we should handle this problem.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| verb (dictionary form) | V(dict) + べきか | 言うべきか / 対応すべきか |
Variants
〜べきかどうか — Often expanded to 〜べきかどうか, 'whether or not one should ~.'
Examples
彼に本当のことを言うべきか、迷っている。
I'm torn over whether I should tell him the truth.
留学すべきかどうか、まだ決められない。
I still can't decide whether or not I should study abroad.
今、何をすべきかをはっきりさせよう。
Let's clarify what we should be doing right now.
Easily confused with
See 〜べきか in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜べきか the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.