Beki v.s. Hazu
Today’s theme is "beki" and "hazu." I am often asked, "What is the difference between these two?" As a Japanese speaker, it’s easy to wonder why people find them similar in the first place, because their meanings and usages are quite distinct. However, the reason many people struggle to distinguish them is simple: in English, both are often translated as "should."
First, let’s look at the definitions of "should" in an English dictionary:
Indicating advice or recommendation:
He should stop smoking.
They should have called the police.
Drawing a tentative conclusion:
We should arrive before dark if we leave now.
The road should be less crowded today because it is Sunday.
The first definition—indicating advice or recommendation—corresponds to "beki." The Japanese translations for those examples would be:
彼はたばこをやめるべきです。(Kare wa tabako o yameru beki desu.)
彼たちは警察に電話をするべきだった。(Karetachi wa keisatsu ni denwa o suru beki datta.)
Next, the second definition—drawing a tentative conclusion—corresponds to "hazu." The Japanese translations would be:
今、出れば、暗くなる前に着くはずです。(Ima dereba, kuraku naru mae ni tsuku hazu desu.)
今日は日曜日だから、道はあまり込んでいないはずです。(Kyo wa nichiyobi dakara, michi wa amari konde inai hazu desu.)
"Hazu" expresses the speaker's expectation or certainty. Therefore, it is similar to "omou" (I think), but "hazu" carries a much higher level of confidence.
It is also important to note "hazu ga nai." This is used when the speaker has a very strong conviction that "the action preceding hazu will not happen." Please be careful: it does not mean a lack of certainty; rather, it means strong certainty of a negative outcome.
彼は来るはずです。 (I am certain that he will come.)
彼は来ないはずです。 (I am certain that he will not come.)
彼は来るはずがない。 (I have no doubt that he will not come.) In other words, you are certain that "his coming" will not happen.
彼は来ないはずがない。 (I have no doubt that he will come.) Here, you are certain that "his not coming" will not happen. In Japanese, this double negative creates a very strong affirmation.
It’s quite complex, isn't it?
However, is it now clear that the meanings of "beki" and "hazu" are different? To start with, let's stop trying to think about these two in English. We really should (beki) stop doing that!