Grammar Info

N5 Lesson 10: 12/12

つもりだ

To plan to, To intend to

Structure

Verb［る］ + つもり + だ
Verb［ない］+ つもり + だ(*)
Verb + つもり + は(1) + ない(**)

(1) が
(*) To intend not to
(**) To have no intention of

Details

  • Part of Speech

    Noun

  • Word Type

    Auxiliary Verb

  • Register

    Standard

  • 品詞

    名詞

  • 単語の種類

    助動詞

  • 使用域

    一般

Rare Kanji

積もり

About つもりだ

つもりだ (or です) is a grammar point that can have several meanings in Japanese, but is often translated simply as 'intend to (A)', or 'plan to (A)'. It can be used after the plain (dictionary) form of verbs, or after the ない form.
  • そのピザは今日(きょう)の昼(ひる)に食(た)べるつもりです。
    I intend to eat that pizza for lunch today.
  • 今日(きょう)は学校(がっこう)に行(い)かないつもりだ。
    I don't intend to go to school today.
  • 明日(あした)は休(やす)みだから、早(はや)く起(お)きるつもりはない。
    Since I have the day off tomorrow, I have no intention of waking up early.
In the last two sentences, there is quite a large difference in nuance, and can be thought of as similar to the difference between 'to intend not to' ないつもり, and 'to have no intention of' つもりはない in English. The former will mean that (A) is being actively avoided, while the latter will indicate that one simply has no plans to (A).
Fun Fact
The literal meaning of つもり comes from the verb 積(つ)もる, which means 'to pile up', or 'to load'. Due to this, つもり is regularly used to describe people that are doing something that is out of character for them, meaning that they have 'piled up' whatever feeling was required to act that way.
  • それは謝(あやま)ってるつもり?
    Is that intended to be an apology? (Do you really think that is an apology?)
In this example, the nuance of つもり is 'so you're really going to act like you're apologizing?!' However, the literal meaning is closer to 'so you've really piled up enough (nerve) in order to act like that's an apology?!'
Caution
The は in つもりはない is interchangeable with が or じゃ (usually では is not used). The difference in nuance is that が gives the impression of being 'uninterested' in (A), while じゃ simply expresses that (A) is not the intended result.
  • 今日(きょう)は先生(せんせい)と話(はな)すつもりがない。
    I don't have any intention to talk to the teacher today.
  • 今日(きょう)は何(なに)も買(か)うつもりじゃない。
    I don't intend on buying anything today.

Examples

  • 日本(にほん)に行(い)くつもりだ。

    I intend to go to Japan.

  • 日本語(にほんご)を勉強(べんきょう)するつもりだ。

    I intend to study Japanese.

  • 日本語(にほんご)を勉強(べんきょう)して、日本(にほん)に行(い)くつもりだ。

    I intend to study Japanese and go to Japan.

  • 明日(あした)早(はや)く起(お)きるつもりです。

    I intend to wake up early tomorrow.

  • 車(くるま)で行(い)くつもりです。

    I intend to go by car.

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つもりだ – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (14 in total)

  • shary

    shary

    About 2 years ago

    Thanks for the detailed explanation.

    You are always very quick to respond and seem open to improve this already very exhaustive grammar data base.

    I appreciate that.

  • Savannah

    Savannah

    About 2 years ago

    So why is there a warning sign next to “つもりではない”? Is that supposed to indicate that it’s incorrect? And if it’s incorrect, then why is it incorrect when “つもりじゃない” is apparently acceptable?

  • Daru

    Daru

    About 1 year ago

    Hey there! It’s basically because it would be a bit redundant.

    つもり with just で comes off kinda like ‘the intention of ~ I’m intending’, whereas つもりはない and つもりじゃない just negate the つもり, so it’s ‘no intention of ~’.

    Hope this clears it up!

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