must not; do not (prohibition)

べからず is a formal, old-fashioned prohibition, often on signs. Attach it to a verb's dictionary form (する may be すべからず). The noun-modifying form is べからざる. It is stiff and authoritative, equivalent to "must not".

Examples

• ここにゴミを捨すてるべからず。

  Koko ni gomi o suteru bekarazu.

  Do not throw away trash here.

• 初心しょしん忘わするべからず。

  Shoshin wasuru bekarazu.

  Never forget your original resolve.

Vocabulary in these examples

• ここ here
• ゴミ garbage, trash
• 捨てる to throw away

Related patterns · Formal and literary

• 〜をもって with; by means of; as of
• 〜にあって in; at; under (a situation)
• 〜とあって because (a special situation)
• 〜まじき unbecoming; that should never be
• 〜ごとし like; as if
• 〜に難くない not hard to; easy to