べきはず combined, what does it mean?


I was reading 吾輩は猫である and this sentence came to me:

> 第一毛をもって装飾され **べきはず** の顔がつるつるしてまるで薬缶【やかん】だ

Can someone explain it to me please?




べき indicates what "should be", e.g. "病人の田中さんは寝るべきです (Tanaka-san, who's sick,
should sleep)"

はず indicates what is expected, e.g. "病人の田中さんは寝てるはずです (Tanaka-san, who's sick,
should be asleep [I expect him to be asleep])"

Combining both, you're saying you "expect [one] should be doing something".

e.g. "病人の田中さんは寝るべきはずだったが、奇跡的にスーパーマンのように空を飛んでた (Sick Tanaka-san, whom one would
expect should've been sleeping, was miraculously flying through the sky like
superman)".

In the case of your sentence, I'm assuming the cat is saying that the head
"should be covered in fur (as is to be expected)". べき gives the "should" part,
and はず gives the "expectation" part.




べき indicates what "should be", e.g. "病人の田中さんは寝るべきです (Tanaka-san, who's sick,
should sleep)"

はず indicates what is expected, e.g. "病人の田中さんは寝てるはずです (Tanaka-san, who's sick,
should be asleep [I expect him to be asleep])"

Combining both, you're saying you "expect [one] should be doing something".

e.g. "病人の田中さんは寝るべきはずだったが、奇跡的にスーパーマンのように空を飛んでた (Sick Tanaka-san, whom one would
expect should've been sleeping, was miraculously flying through the sky like
superman)".

In the case of your sentence, I'm assuming the cat is saying that the head
"should be covered in fur (as is to be expected)". べき gives the "should" part,
and はず gives the "expectation" part.

