A Decision You've Already Made
つもり reports an intention you hold — something you have decided, not something you are hoping for.
- 来年日本に行くつもりです。(I intend to go to Japan next year.)
It is stronger than たい, which is only a wish. 行きたい says you want to; 行くつもり says you have decided to.
Formation
Always the dictionary form or the ない form — never the past:
- 行くつもり — intend to go
- 行かないつもり — intend not to go
つもり behaves as a noun, so it takes です or だ.
つもり vs 予定
Both translate as "plan," but they differ in who decided:
| Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 行くつもりです | I intend to go (my decision, still mine to change) |
| 行く予定です | I'm scheduled to go (arranged, on a calendar) |
予定 is what you tell your boss. つもり is what you tell a friend.
Careful About Other People
Asking 行くつもりですか can sound like an interrogation — "and what exactly do you intend to do?" Softer options:
- 行きますか。(Are you going?)
- 予定はありますか。(Do you have plans?)
つもりだった — It Didn't Happen
The past form almost always implies the intention failed:
- 行くつもりだったんですが…(I meant to go, but…)
A Separate Use: "Under the Impression"
つもり after a past verb can mean you believed something that turned out false:
- 言ったつもりでした。(I thought I'd told you.)
- 若いつもりだ。(He thinks he's still young.)
Same word, quite a different flavour — worth recognising when you hear it.