目錄
The Japanese expressions 「〜つもり」 and 「〜予定」 can both refer to future plans, but 「〜つもり」 tends to focus more on a decision someone has made in their mind, while 「〜予定」 tends to focus more on a plan that has already taken shape. In Chinese, both may be translated as something like “planning to go to Japan,” which makes them look almost identical. In Japanese, however, they do not create the same picture. One first highlights a person’s intention, while the other first highlights whether something has already been placed on a schedule. The two are not completely opposed, either. 「〜つもり」 can still express a firm decision even when a plan is already quite specific, and 「〜予定」 can also be used for personal plans. What really matters is which aspect the sentence is emphasizing.
What Is the Difference Between 「〜つもり」 and 「〜予定」? Don’t Understand Both Simply as “Plan To”
「〜つもり」 and 「〜予定」 are easy to confuse because both can often be translated into Chinese as “打算.” Japanese, however, distinguishes to some extent between an “internal decision” and an “externally established plan.” The main focus of 「〜つもり」 is a person’s intention, while 「〜予定」 places more weight on a plan or schedule that has already been decided. Therefore, even when both expressions refer to a future action, the more natural choice depends on whether the speaker wants to say “I have decided to do this” or “this is what has been scheduled.”
How to Form 「〜つもり」 and 「〜予定」｜Patterns with Verbs and Nouns
「〜つもり」 is mainly used with the dictionary form or the ない-form of a verb to express an intention about something a person will or will not do. 「〜予定」 can also follow the dictionary form of a verb, and with nouns, the pattern 「noun＋の予定」 is also common.
| Expression | Formation | Example | Core Nuance |
| 〜るつもり | Dictionary-form verb＋つもり | 日本へ行くつもりです。 | Personal intention or decision |
| 〜ないつもり | ない-form verb＋つもり | 日本へ行かないつもりです。 | Intention not to do something |
| 〜る予定 | Dictionary-form verb＋予定 | 日本へ行く予定です。 | An already established plan |
| Noun＋の予定 | Noun＋の予定 | 会議の予定です。 | A schedule or appointment |
How to Use 「〜つもり」｜Expressing Subjective Intention and Personal Decisions
「〜つもり」 indicates that the speaker or the subject has decided, “This is what I’m going to do.” It can be used even when reservations or official dates have not yet been finalized, as long as the person has already decided on a general direction. This makes it especially compatible with personal goals, everyday decisions, and actions someone intends to take.
- Example: 来年、日本へ留学するつもりです。
Kana: らいねん、にほんへ りゅうがくするつもりです。
Translation: I intend to study abroad in Japan next year.
The focus here is less on whether every detail of the study-abroad schedule has been finalized and more on the fact that the person has already decided to do it. - Example: 今日は早く寝るつもりです。
Kana: きょうは はやく ねるつもりです。
Translation: I plan to go to bed early today.
This is a personal intention regarding what the speaker will do that day, rather than a formally scheduled event. - Example: しばらく甘いものを食べないつもりです。
Kana: しばらく あまいものを たべないつもりです。
Translation: I intend not to eat sweets for a while.
Using 「〜ないつもり」 expresses a personal decision not to do something.
How to Use 「〜予定」｜Expressing Established Plans, Appointments, and Schedules
「〜予定」 is often used when an action or event has already been incorporated into a plan. It is especially natural with business trips, meetings, reservations, transportation, work schedules, and other arrangements that can be confirmed externally. It can also be used for personal plans, but the focus is less on the person’s willingness to do something and more on the fact that it has already been scheduled.
- Example: 来週、京都へ出張する予定です。
Kana: らいしゅう、きょうとへ しゅっちょうするよていです。
Translation: I am scheduled to go on a business trip to Kyoto next week.
A business trip is normally arranged as part of a work schedule, so 「〜予定」 fits naturally. - Example: 会議は三時から始まる予定です。
Kana: かいぎは さんじから はじまるよていです。
Translation: The meeting is scheduled to start at three.
A meeting itself does not have an intention to “decide” to begin, so 「予定」 is appropriate for describing its scheduled starting time. - Example: 午後は病院の予定があります。
Kana: ごごは びょういんの よていが あります。
Translation: I have a hospital appointment in the afternoon.
This uses the 「noun＋の予定」 pattern to express an appointment or item already on the schedule.
How to Use 「〜つもりはない／〜つもりではない」｜“Have No Intention To” vs. “That Wasn’t My Intention”
「〜つもりはない」 and 「〜つもりではない」 look similar, but their focus is slightly different. 「〜つもりはない」 commonly indicates that someone has no intention of performing a certain action, while 「〜つもりではない」 is often used to explain that one’s words or actions were not intended in a particular way.
- Example: 会社を辞めるつもりはありません。
Kana: かいしゃを やめるつもりは ありません。
Translation: I have no intention of quitting the company.
This clearly states that the speaker has no intention of taking the action of quitting. - Example: 責めるつもりではありません。
Kana: せめるつもりでは ありません。
Translation: I don’t mean to blame you.
Rather than simply denying an action, this explains that the speaker is not saying something with the intention of blaming the other person. - Example: 相手を傷つけるつもりではありませんでした。
Kana: あいてを きずつけるつもりでは ありませんでした。
Translation: I did not intend to hurt the other person.
This explains that the speaker did not have that intention behind something that was already said or done.
How to Use 「Noun＋のつもり／Vたつもり」｜From “Intention” to “Thinking of It As”
「つもり」 does not only express future intentions. In the pattern 「noun＋のつもりで」, it can mean “with the mindset of…” or “thinking of it as….” With 「Vたつもり」, it can sometimes express a subjective belief that someone has done or accomplished something. In these cases, its meaning is different from ordinary future planning.
- Example: 冗談のつもりで言いました。
Kana: じょうだんの つもりで いいました。
Translation: I said it as a joke.
This expresses the speaker’s own perception that the remark was intended as a joke. - Example: 本番のつもりで練習してください。
Kana: ほんばんの つもりで れんしゅうして ください。
Translation: Please practice as if it were the real thing.
It is not actually the real performance yet, but the listener is being asked to approach the practice with the same mindset. - Example: 説明を一度聞いただけで、分かったつもりになっていました。
Kana: せつめいを いちど きいただけで、わかったつもりに なっていました。
Translation: After hearing the explanation only once, I thought I understood it.
The point is not whether the person actually understood it sufficiently, but that they believed they had understood it.
「〜つもり」 vs. 「〜予定」｜Personal Intention, How Fixed the Plan Is, and Restrictions on the Subject
The distinction cannot be reduced to a simple rule such as “use つもり for personal matters and 予定 for work.” What matters is whether the sentence centers on a person’s intention or on a plan or schedule that has already been established. In addition, 「〜つもり」 tends to be associated with a subject capable of having an intention, while 「〜予定」 can also be used when the subject is something nonhuman, such as a meeting or train.
| Point of Comparison | 〜つもり | 〜予定 | Common Mistake |
| Main focus | Personal intention or decision | Established plan or schedule | Treating both simply as “plan to” |
| How fixed the plan is | Can be used even before details are finalized | Works well with concrete arrangements | Assuming 「予定」 must always be official |
| Subject | Usually a person or entity capable of intention | Can also describe nonhuman events | Assuming they can be freely interchanged with any subject |
| Common situations | Personal decisions and intentions | Business trips, meetings, reservations, schedules | Assuming 「予定」 cannot be used for personal plans |
▌Common Mistake ①: Using 「〜つもり」 with a Meeting
❌ 会議は三時に始まるつもりです。
✅ 会議は三時に始まる予定です。
「つもり」 is fundamentally connected with intention or purpose. A meeting itself does not “intend” to start at three. When the point is that the starting time has already been set, 「予定」 is more natural.
▌Common Mistake ②: Using 「〜予定」 for Every Personal Goal
❌ 今年は日本語を勉強する予定です。
✅ 今年は日本語を勉強するつもりです。
「予定です」 can also be used depending on the context. However, if the point is to emphasize the person’s decision that “I am going to study Japanese this year,” 「つもり」 expresses that intention more directly. This does not mean 「予定」 is grammatically impossible; the focus is simply different.
▌Common Mistake ③: Describing an Already Scheduled Work Arrangement as Personal Intention
❌ 明日、社長と会うつもりです。
✅ 明日、社長と会う予定です。
If the speaker means, as a matter of personal intention, “I intend to meet the company president,” 「つもり」 can work. However, if the point is that a meeting has already been arranged, 「予定です」 is more natural.
Using 「〜つもり」 and 「〜予定」 for Travel and Work Arrangements in Japan
These two expressions often appear together in conversations about travel and work. Someone may first state their intention using 「〜つもり」, after which the other person asks about the concrete schedule using 「予定」. Likewise, 「予定」 is natural for a business trip that has already been arranged by a company, while 「つもり」 can take on a different meaning when explaining the intention behind something someone said.
▌Situation ①: Talking About Travel Plans
A：来年、北海道へ行くつもりです。
らいねん、ほっかいどうへ いくつもりです。
I’m planning to go to Hokkaido next year.
B：いいですね。もう予定は決まりましたか。
いいですね。もう よていは きまりましたか。
That sounds nice. Have you already finalized your plans?
In this dialogue, A first uses 「つもり」 to express the personal intention to go to Hokkaido. B then uses 「予定」 to ask whether the concrete itinerary or schedule has already been decided.
▌Situation ②: Telling Someone About a Business Trip at Work
A：来週、大阪へ出張する予定です。
らいしゅう、おおさかへ しゅっちょうするよていです。
I’m scheduled to go on a business trip to Osaka next week.
B：資料は前日までに送ります。
しりょうは ぜんじつまでに おくります。
I’ll send the materials by the day before.
Business trips are often already fixed as part of a company’s work schedule, so 「予定」 is natural here. The sentence is not simply saying that the person wants to go to Osaka; it indicates that the trip has been established as part of the work schedule.
▌Situation ③: Explaining the Intention Behind Something You Said
A：さっきの言い方、少し厳しく聞こえました。
さっきの いいかた、すこし きびしく きこえました。
The way you said that earlier sounded a little harsh.
B：責めるつもりではありませんでした。すみません。
せめるつもりでは ありませんでした。すみません。
I didn’t mean to blame you. I’m sorry.
Here, 「つもり」 does not refer to a future plan. It expresses the intention behind what was said. The speaker is explaining that they did not intend to blame the other person, so 「予定」 cannot replace it.
Cultural Note:
- Japanese often distinguishes between a person’s own idea or intention and an arrangement that has already been scheduled, and this difference is reflected in the choice between 「つもり」 and 「予定」.
- In workplace contexts, 「〜予定です」 is frequently used for business trips, meetings, visits, and other arrangements that have already been established within an organization.
- 「〜つもりではありません」 is also commonly used to clear up misunderstandings or explain one’s intention, so it is not merely a future-planning expression.
Comparing Japanese Grammar with Korean 「-(으)ㄹ 생각이다／예정이다」
Korean has a distinction somewhat similar to Japanese 「〜つもり」 and 「〜予定」. 「-(으)ㄹ 생각이다」 tends to express a person’s thoughts or intention, similar to “be thinking of doing…” or “intend to do…,” while 「예정이다」 is often used for an already established plan or schedule. However, the Japanese and Korean expressions do not always correspond perfectly one-to-one, and the natural choice still depends on context.
◆ Similar Grammar: Korean 「-(으)ㄹ 생각이다／예정이다」
- Example: 내년에 일본에 갈 생각이에요.
Romanization: nae-nyeon-e il-bon-e gal saeng-ga-gi-e-yo
Translation: I’m thinking of going to Japan next year.
「갈 생각이에요」 focuses on the speaker’s own thought or intention. - Example: 다음 주에 오사카로 출장 갈 예정이에요.
Romanization: da-eum ju-e o-sa-ka-ro chul-jang gal ye-jeong-i-e-yo
Translation: I’m scheduled to go on a business trip to Osaka next week.
「예정이에요」 is suitable for expressing an already established business-trip schedule or plan. - Example: 그런 뜻으로 말한 건 아니었어요.
Romanization: geu-reon tteu-seu-ro mal-han geon a-ni-eo-sseo-yo
Translation: That wasn’t what I meant when I said it.
When Japanese 「〜つもりではなかった」 expresses “intention,” Korean does not necessarily use 「생각」 or 「예정」. It may instead use a phrase such as 「그런 뜻으로〜」 to express that the speaker did not mean it in that sense or with that intention.
◆ The Core Difference from 「〜つもり／〜予定」:
Japanese 「〜つもり」 can express not only future intention but also a wider range of meanings involving intention, perception, and mindset, as in 「冗談のつもり」 and 「分かったつもり」. By contrast, Korean 「-(으)ㄹ 생각이다」 mainly expresses one’s thoughts or intentions about something to be done in the future, so it cannot replace every use of 「つもり」 directly. 「予定」 and 「예정이다」 are relatively close in meaning, but the most natural expression still depends on the subject, context, and what the speaker wants to emphasize.
Because both 「〜つもり」 and 「〜予定」 can be used to talk about the future, they can initially appear to mean the same thing. In actual Japanese, however, the choice changes depending on whether the speaker is showing “what someone has decided to do” or “what has already been established as a plan.” In addition, 「つもり」 extends beyond future intention to cover intention and subjective perception, so simply memorizing both as future-planning expressions is not enough. Looking at the subject of the sentence and what is being emphasized in context makes the distinction much easier to identify.
FAQs
「〜つもり」 focuses more on a person’s intention or internal decision, while 「〜予定」 focuses more on an already established plan or schedule. However, their uses can overlap depending on context.
Yes. Even for personal matters, 「〜予定」 is natural when the point is that a date or plan has already been arranged.
「〜つもり」 generally combines most naturally with a subject capable of intention. For the schedule of a meeting, train, or similar event, 「〜予定」 is usually more natural.
Not completely. 「〜つもりはない」 tends to mean that someone has no intention of performing an action, while 「〜つもりではない」 is also often used to explain that something was not meant with a particular intention.
Usually not. 「Vたつもり」 can express the subjective belief that someone has done or accomplished something, as in expressions such as 「分かったつもり」.