Expected or not
Reactions to how things match expectations: confirmed, admirably confirmed, flatly refused, or tentatively suspected.
yappari
as expected; after all
やっぱり
Confirms that something turned out as you thought, restates a settled opinion (yappari natsu wa biiru da ne = summer means beer, after all), or marks a change of mind (yappari yameru = actually, I'll skip it).
yappari kenta da ne.
Typical Kenta, just as I thought.
やっぱり健太だね。
yappari kenta san desu ne.
Typical Kenta, just as I thought.
やっぱり健太さんですね。
Casual speech clips it to yappa. yahari is the formal, written-leaning form (meetings, news); in desu/masu speech yappari is normal.
Learn alongside: sasuga
sasuga
polite sasuga desu neimpressive; as expected (of you); that's X for you
さすが さすがですね
Praise that someone lives up to their reputation, either alone ('sasuga!') or as 'sasuga X da ne'. With ni, it means 'understandably, as you'd expect': sasuga ni tsukareta (I'm tired, understandably), sasuga ni sore wa muri (that's really too much).
sasuga kenta da ne.
That's Kenta for you!
さすが健太だね。
sasuga kenta san desu ne.
Just what you'd expect from Kenta.
さすが健太さんですね。
Bare sasuga is praise; for bad news you expected, use yappari. sasuga ni is the separate 'understandably, even so' sense. Said flatly, sasuga da ne can be sarcastic.
Learn alongside: yappari
masaka
no way; surely not
まさか
Expresses disbelief, either alone as 'no way!' or to open a guess you hope is wrong (masaka ... ja nai yo ne).
masaka wasureta no?
Don't tell me you forgot!
まさか忘れたの？
masaka wasureta n desu ka?
Don't tell me you forgot.
まさか忘れたんですか？
masaka! alone is a full reaction: no way!
Learn alongside: moshikashite
moshikashite
maybe; could it be
もしかして
Floats a guess or a tentative question, usually ending in no?, kana or kamo.
moshikashite wasureta no?
Did you forget, by any chance?
もしかして忘れたの？
moshikashite wasureta n desu ka?
Did you forget, by any chance?
もしかして忘れたんですか？
moshikashitara is the 'if by any chance' variant (moshikashitara kuru kamo). Polite-safe opener for a sensitive guess: moshikashite, tanaka san desu ka? (Are you Mr. Tanaka, by any chance?)
Learn alongside: masaka