JapaneseJLPT
JLPT N3 grammar · Chapter 24

～つもりだった・～つもりで

Contrast an earlier intention, a personal belief, and an imagined situation

You’ll be able to contrast what you had intended with what you believed you had done, and describe acting with an imagined role or situation in mind.

Illustration of the scene described by I thought I had brought my hat, but I left it at home.
Read it first

帽子ぼうしを持もってきたつもりでしたが、家いえに忘わすれてきました。

boushi o motte kita tsumori deshita ga, ie ni wasurete kimashita.

What do you think this sentence means?

I thought I had brought my hat, but I left it at home.

Why it means that

Express an intended belief versus reality

～つもりだった looks back on a personal belief or intention that turned out differently in reality. Relatedly, ～つもりで describes acting with a specific assumption or imagined situation in mind.

Examples

早はやく寝ねるつもりだったが、映画えいがを見みてしまった。

hayaku neru tsumori datta ga, eiga o mite shimatta.

I meant to go to bed early, but I ended up watching a movie.

旅行りょこうに行いったつもりで、そのお金かねを貯金ちょきんした。

ryokou ni itta tsumori de, sono okane o chokin shita.

I saved that money, telling myself I had already been on the trip.

How it is built

Forming intended states and assumed mindsets

Use verb past + つもりだった to express what you assumed you had done, or verb plain non-past + つもりだった for an unfulfilled intention. Use 〜つもりで to show acting with a certain assumption or imagined posture.

verb plain (past / non-past)+つもりだった／noun + の / verb+つもりで
Example

プロになったつもりで、毎日まいにち真剣しんけんに練習れんしゅうしている。

puro ni natta tsumori de, mainichi shinken ni renshuu shite iru.

I practice seriously every day with the mindset of having become a professional.

Compare

～るつもりだった vs ～たつもりだった

With the dictionary form, つもりだった says you meant to do something but did not. With the た-form, it says you believed you had done it, but you were wrong.

  • ～るつもりだった, meant to

    窓まどを閉しめるつもりだった。

    mado o shimeru tsumori datta.

    I meant to close the window.

    An intention that didn’t happen.

  • ～たつもりだった, thought I had

    窓まどを閉しめたつもりだった。

    mado o shimeta tsumori datta.

    I thought I had closed the window.

    A mistaken belief.

Examples

メールに資料しりょうを付つけたつもりだったが、相手あいてから「届とどいていません」と連絡れんらくが来きた。

meeru ni shiryou o tsuketa tsumori datta ga, aite kara "todoite imasen" to renraku ga kita.

I thought I had attached the document to the email, but the other person told me, "It hasn’t arrived."

今日きょうこそ部屋へやを片付かたづけるつもりだったのに、一日中いちにちじゅうごろごろしてしまった。

kyou koso heya o katazukeru tsumori datta noni, ichinichijuu gorogoro shite shimatta.

I meant to clean my room today for sure, but I ended up lazing around all day.

本番ほんばんの試合しあいのつもりで、練習れんしゅうでも全力ぜんりょくで走はしりなさい。

honban no shiai no tsumori de, renshuu de mo zenryoku de hashirinasai.

Run with everything you’ve got, even in practice, as if it were the real match.

7 more examples in the grammar path — free for a limited time.