〜つもり: How to Say You Plan or Intend to Do Something

What it means

つもり expresses your intention — something you've decided in your own mind that you mean to do. It's stronger and more personal than just saying you "might," and it's the everyday way to talk about plans you've made for yourself. Because it describes a decision rather than a fixed appointment, it usually says more about you than about a calendar.

How to form it

Attach つもり to the dictionary (plain, non-past) form of the verb, then add だ (plain) or です (polite).

A handy mental shortcut: take the plain form you'd use to end a sentence, drop the period, and add つもり.

Saying you do NOT intend to

There are two ways to make it negative, and they differ in strength.

Use 〜ないつもり when your plan is simply not to do something. Use 〜つもりはない when you want to firmly reject the idea — it's closer to "no way am I going to." The second is more emphatic, so it can sound stubborn or defiant depending on tone.

つもりだった — what you had meant to do

Put つもり in the past as つもりだった, and you describe an intention you held earlier — very often one that didn't actually happen:

つもり vs よてい vs 〜よう

These three all touch on the future, but they're not the same.

• 〜つもり is a personal intention — a decision you've made in your head. It may or may not be locked in: 来年留学するつもりです ("I intend to study abroad next year").
• 〜よてい (予定) is a fixed schedule or arrangement — something already set, often by a plan, ticket, or someone else: 来週試験のよていです ("there's an exam scheduled next week"). Use よてい when it feels official or on the calendar, not just in your mind.
• 〜よう (volitional), like 行こう or 食べよう, is the impulse "let's…" or "I think I'll…" — a will or suggestion in the moment, not a settled plan.

So つもり sits between them: more decided than a passing 〜よう, but more personal and less guaranteed than a 〜よてい on the schedule.

Common mistakes

1. Using ます-form before つもり. It takes the dictionary form: 行くつもり (✓), not 行きますつもり (✗).
2. Mixing up the two negatives. 〜ないつもり = "plan not to"; 〜つもりはない = "no intention at all" (stronger). Don't say 行かないつもりはない when you simply mean you don't plan to go.
3. Using つもり for a fixed schedule. A booked flight or set exam is よてい, not つもり — つもり is your personal intention.
4. Forgetting だ／です. つもり is a noun-like word, so finish with つもりだ (plain) or つもりです (polite), not a bare つもり in writing.

Quick recap

• 〜つもり = a personal plan or intention you've decided on.
• Form: dictionary verb + つもりだ／です.
• Negatives: 〜ないつもり ("plan not to") vs the stronger 〜つもりはない ("no intention at all").
• つもりだった = "had intended to," often implying it didn't happen.
• A fixed schedule is よてい; the "let's…" volitional is 〜よう.

Your turn

Take the full N5 〜つもり drill →