Meaning
〜はずだ expresses a logical inference or expectation based on what should theoretically be true. It conveys what you believe must be the case given certain circumstances or information. The negative forms 〜はずがない and 〜はずはない (especially the latter) emphasize that something absolutely cannot or should not happen in theory.
Formation
| Part of speech | Formation |
|---|---|
| 动词 | 辞书形 + はずだ |
| 动词(た形) | はずだ |
| い形容词 | はずだ |
| な形容词 | な + はずだ |
| 名词 | の + はずだ |
Examples
-
あのことは秘密だから、彼が知っているはずがない。
That matter is a secret, so it's impossible that he knows about it. -
夫は朝早く家を出た。今頃は出張先に着いたはずだ。
My husband left home early this morning. He should have arrived at his business trip destination by now. -
そんなはずはないよ。
That can't possibly be the case.
Summary
- Use 〜はずだ to express what logically should be true based on known facts or circumstances
- Negative forms: 〜はずがない and 〜はずはない (stronger negation) mean 'must not' or 'cannot possibly'
- Works with verbs (dictionary/past form), i-adjectives, na-adjectives (+ な), and nouns (+ の)