modality N4 essential casualpolitewritten
〜はず — should / be supposed to ~
〜はず ・ はず
Meaning
- should ~ / be supposed to ~ / ought to be — a confident expectation grounded in reason or evidence
Key sentence
彼はもう着いているはずだ。
He should have arrived by now.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Plain (adnominal) form / noun / na-adjective | plain V/A + はず; N + の + はず; na-adj + な + はず | 来るはず / 本当のはず / 静かなはず |
Examples
予約したから、席はあるはずだ。
I made a reservation, so there should be seats.
この時間なら、店は開いているはずです。
At this hour the shop should be open.
When you can't use it
- はず is grounded in logic or evidence, not in the speaker's own will. For your own plan use つもり, not はず: ×明日行くはず (for 'I intend to go') → 明日行くつもり.
Easily confused with
Notes
- When reality contradicts the expectation, use はずだ in surprise — 「おかしいな、ここにあるはずなのに」('strange, it's supposed to be here').
See 〜はず in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜はず the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar.