〜はずだ

〜はずだ expresses should be / expected to — communicating the speaker's degree of certainty, judgment, or attitude about a statement. Modal expressions in Japanese range from strong conviction to vague possibility, and choosing the right one conveys important nuance about how sure you are.

This is an intermediate pattern used regularly in everyday Japanese conversation and writing.

When to Use#

• When something is logically expected to be true
• When expressing confidence based on known information

When NOT to Use#

• When the meaning is closer to "doesn't mean that" — use 〜わけではない instead
• In very formal writing where a more sophisticated expression would be expected

Example Sentences#

• 上司は会社にいるはずです。 — The boss should be in the office.
• 会議は午後2時に始まるはずです。 — The meeting should start at 2 PM.
• メールはもう届いているはずです。 — The mail should have arrived already.

Practice#

Try reading these sentences aloud, then check the translation and vocabulary:

Common Mistakes#

1. Confusing 〜はずだ with 〜わけではない — While both are related, 〜はずだ expresses "should be / expected to" whereas 〜わけではない expresses "doesn't mean that." Pay attention to the specific nuance each pattern conveys.
2. Direct translation from English — The concept expressed by 〜はずだ may not map one-to-one with its English translation. Focus on understanding the Japanese usage through example sentences rather than relying on the English gloss.

Related Patterns#

• 〜わけではない (doesn't mean that) — Compare