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〜はずがない

there's no way that, can't possibly

Plain form + はずがない (な-adj + な · Noun + の)

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はずがない turns はず, "should be", into a firm denial: 彼がそんなことを言うはずがない, "there's no way he'd say something like that". From what they know, the speaker is sure it can't be true.

It's much stronger than はずじゃない, "it's not supposed to". And it differs from ないはずだ: 来ないはずだ says "they're not expected to come", while 来るはずがない says "there's no way they're coming".

Before it, nouns take の and な-adjectives keep な: 本物のはずがない, "it can't be the real thing"; 簡単なはずがない, "it can't be easy".

In conversation, わけがない means much the same, and in casual speech the が often drops: そんなはずない!

Examples

  • あの人ひとがそんなことを言いうはずがない。

    There's no way that person would say something like that.

  • 鍵かぎはかけた。開あいているはずがない。

    I locked it. There's no way it's open.

  • こんなに安やすい物ものが本物ほんもののはずがありません。

    Something this cheap can't possibly be genuine.

  • 毎日練習まいにちれんしゅうしているから、下手へたなはずがない。

    They practise every day, so there's no way they're bad at it.

  • 彼女かのじょが約束やくそくを忘わすれるはずがありません。

    There's no way she'd forget a promise.

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