〜予定 (よてい): How to Say Something Is Scheduled or Planned
A settled plan, already on the calendar
予定 is a noun meaning "plan," "schedule," or "arrangement." When you say something is your 予定, you mean it's pinned to the calendar — a date, a time, a fixed event — not just something you're mulling over. That's why it fits trips, meetings, appointments, and deadlines: things that are already arranged, sometimes by someone other than you.
ヤッタンは来週、京都に行く予定です。
ヤッタンは らいしゅう、きょうとに いく よていです。
Yattan is scheduled to go to Kyoto next week.
明日は会議の予定です。
あしたは かいぎの よていです。
There's a meeting scheduled for tomorrow.
Noun (会議) + の + 予定.
モチは三時に先生と会う予定だ。
モチは さんじに せんせいと あう よていだ。
Mochi is scheduled to meet the teacher at three.
する予定 and の予定: two ways to attach it
How you connect 予定 depends on what comes before it — a verb or a noun:
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (dictionary form) | 〜る + 予定だ／です | 行く予定です (am scheduled to go) |
| Noun | 名詞 + の + 予定 | 旅行の予定 (a travel plan) |
| Negative (verb) | 〜ない + 予定 | 行かない予定です (plan not to go) |
| Negative (whole plan) | 〜予定はない | 行く予定はない (have no plans to go) |
| Past | 〜予定だった／でした | 行く予定でした (was scheduled to go) |
Two spots trip learners up. Before 予定, the verb stays in plain dictionary form — 行く予定です, never the polite 行きます予定です. And when a noun is the plan, don't drop the の: it's 会議の予定, not 会議予定 as a standalone phrase.
今週末は旅行の予定があります。
こんしゅうまつは りょこうの よていが あります。
There's a trip planned for this weekend.
予定がある = there is a plan.
ヤッタンの弟は土曜日にテストの予定です。
ヤッタンの おとうとは どようびに テストの よていです。
Yattan's little brother has a test scheduled for Saturday.
Two negatives that pull in different directions
There are two natural ways to make 予定 negative, and they don't mean the same thing. Negate the verb to say what you plan not to do, or negate 予定 itself to say no such plan exists:
今日は出かけない予定です。
きょうは でかけない よていです。
The plan is to not go out today.
〜ない予定 = plan to NOT do something.
ヤッタンは今週、休む予定はない。
ヤッタンは こんしゅう、やすむ よていは ない。
Yattan has no plans to take a break this week.
〜予定はない = there is no such plan at all.
For simply saying "I have no plans to…," the second pattern, 〜予定はない, is the one to reach for. Just don't blend the two into 行かない予定はない unless you genuinely mean a double negative — 行かない予定 ("choosing to stay") and 行く予定はない ("no plans to go") are answering different questions.
予定, つもり, or ようと思う?
All three can translate as "plan to" in English, but they sit at different levels of certainty:
| Form | Core idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 予定だ | a fixed, often externally-set schedule — on the calendar | 三時に出発する予定です = We're scheduled to leave at 3 |
| つもりだ | your personal intention or resolve | 三時に出発するつもりです = I intend to leave at 3 |
| ようと思う | just thinking of doing it now; least settled | 三時に出発しようと思います = I'm thinking of leaving at 3 |
In short: 予定 is the most concrete and settled — it's an arrangement, sometimes one set by others (your job, a timetable, a booking). 〜つもり is what you've decided in your head. 〜ようと思う is the loosest — a thought you've just had. So 結婚する予定です sounds like a wedding is booked, while 結婚するつもりです is your personal plan. If nothing is actually fixed yet, つもり or ようと思う is the honest choice — don't upgrade a private resolve to 予定.
The short version
- 予定 = a scheduled, settled plan; the thing is on the calendar.
- Verb: dictionary form + 予定だ／です. Noun: noun + の + 予定.
- Negatives: 〜ない予定 (plan not to) and 〜予定はない (no plan at all).
- More concrete than つもり (your intention) or ようと思う (just a thought).
Practice it
Choose the correct form of 予定 (verb + 予定だ vs noun + の + 予定).
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
Choose the grammar pattern that best completes the sentence.
祖父は、再来年引退する＿＿＿です。
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between 予定 and つもり?
予定 is a fixed, scheduled plan, often set externally (a meeting, a flight, a timetable). つもり is your own personal intention. 出張する予定です sounds like the trip is arranged; 出張するつもりです is what you intend to do.
Do I use の before 予定?
Only after a noun: 旅行の予定 ('a travel plan'). After a verb you use the plain dictionary form with no の: 行く予定です.
How do I say I have no plans to do something?
Use 〜予定はない: 今週は出かける予定はない ('I have no plans to go out this week'). Compare 出かけない予定 — that means you actively plan to stay in.
Can 予定 be used about the past?
Yes. 予定だった／でした describes a plan that was set, often one that changed: 行く予定でしたが、やめました ('I was scheduled to go, but I didn't').
Where 〜予定 fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜てください · N5 — 〜てください is the standard way to politely ask someone to do something ('please do…'). Learn the formation, the negative 〜ないでください, softer variations, and see clear examples.
- 〜つもり · N5 — つもり expresses a personal plan or intention: 行くつもりです ('I plan to go'). Learn the dictionary-form pattern, negatives, つもりだった, and how it differs from よてい and 〜よう.
Don't confuse it with
- 〜つもり · N5 — つもり expresses a personal plan or intention: 行くつもりです ('I plan to go'). Learn the dictionary-form pattern, negatives, つもりだった, and how it differs from よてい and 〜よう.
- 〜ようと思う · N4 — 〜ようと思う uses the volitional form + と思う to say you've decided to do something: 勉強しようと思う. Learn the formation, the 〜ようと思っている variant, and how it differs from つもり and 予定.
Compared side by side
See how this pattern differs from the ones it's confused with:
More N4 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜ばかり — ばかり has two main N4 jobs: 'nothing but / only too much' (ゲームばかり) and 'just did' (来たばかり). Learn 〜てばかりいる and how 〜たばかり differs from 〜たところ and だけ.
- ございます・でございます — ございます is a very polite ある/あります and でございます a very polite です. Learn how shop staff and announcements use these courteous 丁寧語 forms, plus 〜うございます set phrases.
- 〜ていただけませんか — Climb the politeness ladder for requests: 〜てくれませんか, 〜てもらえませんか, the very polite 〜ていただけませんか, 〜てくださいませんか, and honorific お＋stem＋ください.
- 〜ていただく — 〜ていただく is the humble version of 〜てもらう: you receive the favor of someone doing something. Learn the に particle, 〜させていただく, and polite requests with 〜ていただけますか.
- など・とか — など and とか give non-exhaustive examples. Learn 〜など ('such as', 'and so on'), casual 〜とか〜とか ('things like A and B'), the softening お茶など, and how they pair with や.
- 〜こと — こと turns a verb or clause into a noun: 話すことは難しい ('speaking is hard'). Learn the formation, こと vs の, and frames like 〜ことがある, 〜ことにする, and 〜ことになる.