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べからず — “must not (formal prohibition)”
A stern, formal, almost archaic way to forbid an action, typically seen on signs
Dictionary form + べからず is a formal, literary prohibition — “must not do X” — descended from classical Japanese grammar. It survives today mostly in fixed public signage (芝生に入るべからず, “do not enter the lawn”) and quoted proverbs, rather than in ordinary modern speech.
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Dictionary form + べからず | 初心忘るべからず — Never forget your beginner's spirit |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| この川で泳ぐべからず。 | このかわでおよぐべからず。 konokawadeoyogubekarazu。 | Do not swim in this river. |
| 立ち入るべからず。 | たちいるべからず。 tachiirubekarazu。 | No entry (do not enter). |
| 初心忘るべからずという言葉を胸に刻んでいる。 | しょしんわするべからずということばをむねにきざんでいる。 shoshinwasurubekarazutoiukotobawomunenikizandeiru。 | I keep the saying "never forget your beginner's spirit" close to my heart. |
🔊 Tap any Japanese sentence to hear it; kanji link to their study pages.
Watch out
べからず is archaic and appears almost exclusively in fixed signage and famous sayings — for an actual prohibition in modern conversation, てはいけない or ないでください is what people really say.