Explanation
〜はずだ expresses a strong expectation grounded in logic or knowledge: "it should be / it must be".
Negative: はずがない = "there is no way that...".
Formation: Plain form + はずだ. The negative はずがない means it is impossible, and the past はずだった expresses an expectation that did not come true.
Usage & nuance: 〜はずだ states a logical expectation the speaker is confident about, based on reasoning, schedules or prior knowledge.
Compare: 〜はずだ is an expectation from logic, 〜べきだ is moral obligation, and 〜わけだ marks the conclusion reached after understanding a reason.
हिंदी में समझें
〜はずだ तर्क या ज्ञान पर आधारित प्रबल अपेक्षा बताता है: "होना चाहिए"।
नकारात्मक: はずがない = "ऐसा हो ही नहीं सकता"।
Examples
- かれはもうついたはずです。 (Kare wa mou tsuita hazu desu.)
हिंदी: वह पहुँच चुका होगा।
English: He should have arrived already. - そんなはずがありません。 (Sonna hazu ga arimasen.)
हिंदी: ऐसा हो ही नहीं सकता।
English: That cannot be true. - 彼はもう着いているはずだ。 (Kare wa mou tsuite iru hazu da.)
हिंदी: उसे अब तक पहुँच जाना चाहिए।
English: He should have arrived already. - そんなはずはない。 (Sonna hazu wa nai.)
हिंदी: ऐसा नहीं हो सकता।
English: That cannot be possible.
Common mistakes
- Using はずだ for wishes → はずだ is expectation, not desire — For desire use 〜たい or 〜だろう.
Practice this topic
Test your understanding with 2 questions on 〜はずだ — Should be / Must be.