Master JLPT N4: Expressing Intentions with 〜つもりです

Welcome to your definitive guide to mastering one of the most essential grammar points in the JLPT N4 syllabus: 〜つもりです (tsumori desu).

If you want to talk about your future plans, dreams, or personal resolutions with confidence, this is the structure you need. In Japanese, how you express the future depends heavily on your level of certainty and resolve. Today, we will unpack how to use 〜つもりです to express your firm intentions.

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1. Core Meaning & Nuance

つもり (積もり) literally translates to "conviction," "intention," or "plan." When combined with です, it expresses a decision you have already made in your mind.積

• English equivalent: "I intend to..." / "I plan to..." / "I am going to..."
• Certainty Level: High (approx. 70-80%). It is stronger than a passing thought (〜ようと思っています), but less official than a scheduled event (〜予定です).思予定

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2. Grammar Construction

Forming sentences with つもりです is highly systematic. You only need the plain (casual) form of the verb.

A. Affirmative: "I intend to do [Action]"

[Verb Dictionary Form] + つもりです

• 買う (to buy) $\rightarrow$ 買うつもりです (I intend to buy)買
• 行く (to go) $\rightarrow$ 行くつもりです (I intend to go)行

B. Negative: "I intend NOT to do [Action]"

There are two ways to form the negative.

1. The Standard Negative (Most Common):

[Verb ない-Form] + つもりです

• 吸わない (not smoke) $\rightarrow$ 吸わないつもりです (I intend not to smoke)吸

2. The Strong Negative (No Intention At All):

[Verb Dictionary Form] + つもりはありません

• 会う (to meet) $\rightarrow$ 会うつもりはありません (I have absolutely no intention of meeting [them])会

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4. Crucial Grammar Nuances (Tutor Tips)

⚠️ The Third-Person Rule

つもりです reflects the internal state of the speaker. Therefore, you cannot use it directly for other people without modifying it.

• ❌ Incorrect: 田中さんは旅行に行くつもりです。 (Sounds like you are telepathically reading Tanaka's mind).田中旅行
• Correct Alternatives:
  • 田中さんは旅行に行くそうです (I heard Tanaka plans to go...).田中旅行
  • 田中さんは旅行に行くらしいです (It seems Tanaka intends to go...).田中旅行
  田中旅行

⚠️ Politeness Warning

Do not use つもりですか to ask a superior or boss about their plans. It can sound interrogative or presumptuous (e.g., "Do you actually intend to do that?"). Instead, use the polite 予定ですか (yotei desu ka).予定

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5. Quick Check: Quiz

Test your understanding! Translate the following English sentence into Japanese using つもりです.

"I plan to study Japanese for two hours tonight."
(Vocabulary help: Tonight = 今夜 konya / Two hours = 二時間 ni-jikan)今夜二時間

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Answer:
今夜、二時間日本語を勉強するつもりです。
(Konya, ni-jikan nihongo o benkyō suru tsumori desu.)今夜二時間日

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3. Real-World Examples

Let’s look at these structures in natural, N4-level context.

Example 1: Future Plans

• Japanese: 来年、日本に留学するつもりです。来年日本留学
• Kana: らいねん、にほんにりゅうがくするつもりです。
• Romaji: Rainen, Nihon ni ryūgaku suru tsumori desu.
• English: I intend to study abroad in Japan next year.

Example 2: Lifestyle Resolutions (Negative)

• Japanese: 健康のために、甘いものは食べないつもりです。健康甘食
• Kana: けんこうのために、あまいものはたべないつもりです。
• Romaji: Kenkō no tame ni, amai mono wa tabenai tsumori desu.
• English: For my health, I intend not to eat sweet things.

Example 3: Strong Refusal

• Japanese: 彼には二度と連絡するつもりはありません。彼二度連絡
• Kana: かれにはにどとれんらくするつもりはありません。
• Romaji: Kare ni wa nido to renraku suru tsumori wa arimasen.
• English: I have no intention of contacting him ever again.

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