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JLPT N4Modal Expressions

はずです— Should be / Ought to (expectation)

Polite form of はずだ. Expresses logical expectation based on evidence or knowledge. "It should be / it ought to be, based on what I know."

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Pro lessonUNIT 90 · MODAL EXPRESSIONS

Structure · 形

[Plain form] + はずです

Examples · 例文

  • 彼女はもう着いているはずです。

    Kanojo wa mou tsuite iru hazu desu.

    She should have arrived by now.

    着いている (arrived, state) + はずです

  • この道路は今頃込んでいるはずです。

    Kono douro wa imagoro konde iru hazu desu.

    This road should be congested by now.

    込んでいる (is congested) + はずです — expected from typical patterns

  • 会議は三時に終わるはずです。

    Kaigi wa sanji ni owaru hazu desu.

    The meeting should end at three.

    終わる (ends) + はずです — expectation based on the schedule

Usage notes · 注意

  • Key Concept: はずです = polite はずだ.
  • Detail: はずでした = expected but wasn't (expectation that failed).
  • Summary: はずがありません = there's absolutely no way (polite denial).

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones はずです is tested against.

vsべきです

はずです = logical expectation ('it should be so, I'd expect'); べきです = obligation/moral advice ('you should do it, it's the right thing').

vsでしょう / だろう

はずです expresses a confident inference grounded in specific evidence/reasoning; でしょう is a looser probability guess ('probably').

vsわけです

はずです = expectation before confirming; わけです = a conclusion that logically follows / 'that's why', explaining a fact already known.

More modal expressions

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