This week we've learned two ways to express intention (also known as "volition"): 1. verb stem + (よ | お | こ | そ | も | と | ろ) + う + とおもいます。2. Verb (plain) + つもりです。
- 食べるー＞食べようと思います
ー＞食べるつもりです - 買うー＞買おうと思いますー＞買うつもりです
- 書くー＞書こうと思いますー＞書くつもりです
- 話すー＞話そうと思いますー＞話すつもりです
- 飲むー＞飲もうと思いますー＞飲むつもりです
- 帰るー＞帰ろうと思いますー＞帰るつもりです
In English, one's will is the force of mind or spirit (willpower) that enables us to follow through on our intentions. "I'm thinking about doing it." (Leaning towards action but still undecided.) "I will do it!" (Committed to taking action.)
In casual conversation, you will also hear "I'm going to do it!" or "I'm gonna do it!
来週の水曜日にしけんですから私は今週よく勉強するつもりです。
Permalink.
試験がんばってください。会話では、「帰るつもりだよ」とか。「帰るつもり。」とか｢帰るつもりよ。」など、「---つもりです」のようなていねいな日本語はあまり使わない・・私でした。
Posted by: Mieko on October 17, 2003 09:36 AM
Mieko, it's good to hear from you. I still have trouble leaving comments on your site. Sometimes it works and other times it doesn't. So I'll just say here, I really enjoy your posts. And the bilingual layout is good practice for me.
In regards to your comment, my grammar skills are so rudimentary, so basic, that it's difficult to absorb the "living" language--that is, the language as it's actually spoken. But I'm grateful to you, and everyone else, for helping me along.
Posted by: M on October 17, 2003 11:36 PM
Here's another way to express intention:
~ことにする。
It basically means "decide to do..."
e.g.:
あした走ることにしました。
"I've decided to run tomorrow."
あした走ることにしています。
"I plan to run tommorow."
毎日走ることにしています。
"I make it a practice to run everyday."
Changing the tense used changes the meaning slightly.
The comment that I got from one of my teachers was that using ことにしました showed more determination that the ~つもり.
Posted by: Tom on October 19, 2003 01:20 PM
Interesting. Thanks for the tip. We haven't studied that form yet, so I just looked it up in "Japanese Verbs". It translates ことにする as "decide to". It sounds as if the level of determination is parallel to English.
"I'm thinking about going to Japan."
-> 「日本へ行こうと思います。」
"I plan to/intend to go to Japan."
-> 「日本へ行くつもりです。」
"I decided to go to Japan."
-> 「日本へ行くことにしました。」
Posted by: M Stevens on October 21, 2003 09:39 AM
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