have no intention to / didn't mean to ~ (たつもりはない) – Japanese Grammar たつもりはない (ta tsumori wa nai)

Q: What JLPT level is たつもりはない?

JLPT N1 — Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms

Q: How do you use たつもりはない in a sentence?

Attach たつもりはない to the appropriate verb or noun form. Have no intention to / didn't mean to ~

Q: Is たつもりはない formal or casual Japanese?

たつもりはない is typically used in formal or written Japanese contexts.

たつもりはない

N1 GRAMMAR ⏱ 0s study 📖 0 today

ta tsumori wa nai

have no intention to / didn't mean to ~

思いをする omoi o suru なくしては nakushite wa も同然だ mo douzen da もさることながら mo saru koto nagara に値する ni atai suru を押して /を押し切って o oshite /o oshikitte に引き換え ni hikikae いかなる ikanaru を禁じ得ない o kinji enai もしないで mo shinai de なり nari 可能性がある kanousei ga aru をものともせずに o mono tomo sezuni わ wa ではあるまいか dewa arumai ka ことなしに koto nashi ni にとどまらず ni todomarazu にして ni shite はおろか wa oroka て敵わない te kanawanai 思いをする omoi o suru なくしては nakushite wa も同然だ mo douzen da もさることながら mo saru koto nagara に値する ni atai suru を押して /を押し切って o oshite /o oshikitte に引き換え ni hikikae いかなる ikanaru を禁じ得ない o kinji enai もしないで mo shinai de なり nari 可能性がある kanousei ga aru をものともせずに o mono tomo sezuni わ wa ではあるまいか dewa arumai ka ことなしに koto nashi ni にとどまらず ni todomarazu にして ni shite はおろか wa oroka て敵わない te kanawanai

🃏 Flashcard

たつもりはない

ta tsumori wa nai

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have no intention to / didn't mean to ~

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📊 Pattern Stats

JLPT Level N1

Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms

Reading ta tsumori wa nai

Post ID 51366

Patterns today 0

0 / 10 daily goal

📝 Usage Notes

have no intention to / didn't mean to ~

📖 How to use it

States that the speaker has no intention of doing something or did not mean for something to happen.

Attaches to Attach to the plain past tense (た-form) of a verb: た + つもりはない. For example, 言ったつもりはない (I didn't mean to say).

This pattern expresses that you had no intention of doing something, or that a result was not what you meant to cause. It often appears in defensive or explanatory contexts, like when someone misunderstands your actions. The verb is always in the past tense, even if the feeling is about the present or future, because it refers to the action or event in question.

When used with verbs like 言う (to say) or 傷つける (to hurt), it conveys 'I didn't mean to...' as a way to apologize or clarify. When used with verbs like 行く (to go) or 参加する (to participate), it can mean 'I have no intention of...' for a future action, but the past tense form is still used as a set pattern.

This is a formal, somewhat stiff expression. It is more common in written Japanese or in serious spoken situations. In casual conversation, you'd often hear つもりない (dropping は) or simpler phrases like する気はない.

彼を怒らせたつもりはなかったんですが、どうやら傷つけてしまったようです。

Kare o okoraseta tsumori wa nakatta n desu ga, dōyara kizutsukete shimatta yō desu.

I didn't mean to make him angry, but it seems I ended up hurting him.

私は悪いことをしたつもりはない。ただ、自分の意見を言っただけだ。

Watashi wa warui koto o shita tsumori wa nai. Tada, jibun no iken o itta dake da.

I have no intention of having done anything wrong. I just stated my opinion.

彼女を無視したつもりはなかったが、忙しくて返事ができなかった。

Kanojo o mushi shita tsumori wa nakatta ga, isogashikute henji ga dekinakatta.

I didn't mean to ignore her, but I was too busy to reply.

Not ～ないつもりだ (nai tsumori da) ～ないつもりだ means 'I plan not to do ~' (future intention), while たつもりはない refers to past actions and denies any intention. For example, 行かないつもりだ means 'I intend not to go', but 行ったつもりはない means 'I didn't intend to go (but maybe I did).'

Register This is a formal expression, often used in writing or in serious spoken contexts; in casual conversation, simpler phrases like する気はない or つもりない are more natural.

🎯 Quick Quiz

What does this grammar pattern mean or do?

たつもりはない

📚 How to Master This Pattern

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Press Hear it and repeat たつもりはない three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.

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Compose two original sentences using たつもりはない. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.

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even if; no matter (who, what, when...)

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can do nothing but; only ~

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What does the grammar pattern たつもりはない mean? ▼

Have no intention to / didn't mean to ~

What JLPT level is たつもりはない? ▼

Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N1 — Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.

How do you use たつもりはない in a sentence? ▼

Attach たつもりはない (ta tsumori wa nai) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.

Is たつもりはない formal or casual Japanese? ▼

たつもりはない is used in formal or written contexts. You will see it mainly in written texts, news, business Japanese and academic contexts.

How can I remember たつもりはない long-term? ▼

Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.