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JLPT N2 Grammar

はずではなかった

N2Inference / Appearance

N2 · Inference / Appearance · plain form + はずではなかった / noun + のはずではなかった / na-adjective + なはずではなかった

was not supposed to; should not have been the case

plain form + はずではなかった / noun + のはずではなかった / na-adjective + なはずではなかった

Shows that what actually happened went against the original expectation, arrangement, or reasoning.

Common when looking back on deviations, accidents, misjudgments, or unplanned outcomes.

この道はこんなに混むはずではなかった。

This road was not supposed to be this crowded.

はずだった says something was expected to happen; はずではなかった says it was not expected to be this way.

The past negative form strongly signals a failed expectation.

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