Expecting the residence to be around here with はず

ココア:

「道(みち)を聞(き)くついでに休憩(きゅうけい)しようと思(おも)ったんだけど」

“I was thinking of taking a break while I asked for directions.”

「香風(かふう)さんちってこの近(ちか)くのはずなんだけど知(し)ってる？」

“The Kafuu residence should be around here, but do you know of it?”

Key Points

1. はず marks Cocoa’s expectation from what she knows

   • In この近(ちか)くのはず, Cocoa means the residence “should be” nearby based on her information.

   • はず is not a wish or a command. It presents the location as something she expects to be true, even though she still needs help finding it.

2. この近(ちか)くのはず links a place expression to はず

   • この近(ちか)く means “near here” or “around here”; の connects that noun-like place expression to はず.

   • The fuller idea is 香風(かふう)さんち(は)この近(ちか)くのはず.

3. 香風(かふう)さんちって sets up the topic casually

   • さんち is a casual way to say someone’s home or household.

   • って works like a conversational topic marker here, close to “as for the Kafuu residence”.

4. なんだけど softens the question that follows

   • この近(ちか)くのはずなんだけど gives background before Cocoa asks 知(し)ってる？

   • The ending makes the request less blunt, like “It should be around here, but…”

See Also

• Grammar: One's house with 〜んち