つもり
🃏 Flashcard
つもり
tsumori
Tap to reveal usage
plan to ~; intend to ~
N5
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N5
Beginner · Basic sentence structures
Reading
tsumori
Post ID
50675
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
plan to ~; intend to ~
📖 How to use it
Expresses the speaker's intention or plan to do something.
Attaches to
Attach to the dictionary form of a verb (plain non-past) or the plain past form. For nouns, attach のつもり. For な-adjectives, attach なつもり. For い-adjectives, attach directly (e.g., 高いつもり).
つもり means 'plan' or 'intention'. When you say ～つもりです, you are telling someone what you intend to do or what your plan is. It is more definite than just 'want to' (たい). For example, if you say 行くつもりです, you have made up your mind to go, and you are stating that plan.
週末は友達に会うつもりです。
Shuumatsu wa tomodachi ni au tsumori desu.
I plan to meet my friend this weekend.
来年、日本へ行くつもりです。
Rainen, Nihon e iku tsumori desu.
I intend to go to Japan next year.
今日は早く寝るつもりです。
Kyou wa hayaku neru tsumori desu.
I plan to go to bed early today.
Not たい (want to)
たい expresses a desire, not a firm plan. つもり expresses a decision or intention. If you say 行きたい, you want to go, but you might not. If you say 行くつもり, you have decided to go.
Register
Neutral and common in both spoken and written Japanese. Used in casual and polite speech (つもりです).
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
つもり
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat つもり three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
Flip Before Reading
Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.
Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using つもり. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
Spaced Review
Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.
🔗 More JLPT N5 Patterns
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern つもり mean?
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Plan to ~; intend to ~
What JLPT level is つもり?
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Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N5 — Beginner · Basic sentence structures. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use つもり in a sentence?
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Attach つもり (tsumori) 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 つもり formal or casual Japanese?
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つもり is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.
How can I remember つもり long-term?
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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.