〜と思う vs 〜つもり: Two Ways to State Your Intentions

The core difference

Both project a future action, but they differ on two things at once — the strength of the plan, and how recently you decided:

The forms differ too: ようと思う attaches to the volitional (勉強しよう, 行こう, 食べよう), while つもり attaches to the plain dictionary form (勉強する, 行く, 食べる). The nuance follows from that — ようと思う voices a decision in progress, つもり reports one you've locked in.

See it in one situation

Same weekend, same trip idea, two levels of commitment:

The first is a fresh thought — ヤッタン might still change その mind. The second is a plan already on the calendar.

〜ようと思う — the freshly-made decision

Use 〜ようと思う to voice an intention you're forming, often right as you speak. Attach it to the volitional form of the verb. It's softer and leaves room to change your mind, which makes it polite and natural for everyday plans.

Note the difference between 思う and 思っている: 〜ようと思う sounds like the decision is being made now, while 〜ようと思っている says you've been holding the intention for a while. Both are gentler than つもり.

Full details: 〜と思う guide.

〜つもり — the settled plan

Use 〜つもり when the plan is already firm and you're committed to it. Attach it to the plain dictionary form, and end with だ / です (つもりだ, つもりです). For "I don't intend to," negate the verb: 行かないつもり ("I'm planning not to go").

Because つもり signals commitment, it's the natural choice for plans you've thought through — a trip you've booked, a resolution you've made — not a passing whim.

Full details: 〜つもり guide.

A useful contrast: how firm is the plan?

• ようと思う attaches to the volitional (行こう, 食べよう) and reports a decision often made just now — soft, tentative, easy to revise.
• つもり attaches to the dictionary form (行く, 食べる) and reports a plan already settled — firm, committed, thought through in advance.

So if you decided the moment you opened your mouth, reach for ようと思う; if the plan was in place before you spoke, つもり fits better.

Common mistakes

1. Attaching the wrong form. It's 行こうと思う (volitional) but 行くつもり (dictionary). Don't say 行くと思う for an intention, or 行こうつもり.
2. Using つもり for a whim. A spur-of-the-moment "I think I'll have coffee" is コーヒーを飲もうと思う, not 飲むつもり — つもり sounds too committed for a passing idea.
3. Using ようと思う for a locked-in plan. For a booked trip you've long planned, つもり is stronger and clearer than the tentative ようと思う.
4. Forgetting だ/です after つもり. つもり is a noun-like word, so it needs 〜つもりだ / 〜つもりです to close the sentence.

Quick recap

• 〜ようと思う = volitional + と思う → a decision/intention, often just formed; softer, less fixed.
• 〜つもり = dictionary form + つもり → a firm plan already settled and committed to.
• ようと思う is deciding; つもり is decided.
• Forms: 行こうと思う vs 行くつもり.
• On-the-spot or soft → ようと思う; pre-set and firm → つもり.

Your turn

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