Introduction
Have you ever wanted to say “I thought I sent it…”, “I think I’m trying my best, but…”, or “Practice as if it’s a real game!” in Japanese?
For example:
- You were sure you put your wallet in your pocket, but it wasn’t there.
- Your father thinks he’s still young, but his body says otherwise.
- A coach wants the players to train with the mindset of a real match.
In these situations, Japanese uses JLPT N3 grammar ～たつもり / ～ているつもり / Nのつもり.
This pattern shows a gap between what someone believes and what is actually true.
If you want to review the basic meaning of つもり (“I intend to ~”), check out this article first: How to Say “I Intend to” in Japanese | 〜つもりだ
1. Meaning: What does ～たつもり / ～ているつもり mean?
In the basic pattern V-る + つもりだ, つもり means a plan or intention.
In this N3 pattern, つもり means what someone believes (or imagines) is true, which is often different from reality.
This grammar has three main uses.
① V-たつもり: “I thought I had done ~ (but I hadn’t)”
This use expresses that you believed you had finished an action, but it turns out you hadn’t. It often appears in apologies and explanations.
Common English translations:
- I thought I had ~
- I was sure I had ~
Example: Saori has been waiting for a document from Koki, but it hasn’t arrived.
コウキさん、さっきお願いした資料、まだ届いていないんですけど…。
Koki, the document I asked you for earlier still hasn’t arrived…
えっ、すみません。メールを送ったつもりだったんですが…。
Oh, I’m sorry. I thought I had sent the email…
Ending the sentence with んですが… and trailing off sounds soft and apologetic.
② V-ているつもり / Adjective + つもり: “I believe I am ~ (but…)”
This use expresses how someone sees themselves, when the reality (or other people’s view) may be different.
Common English translations:
- I think I’m ~ (but…)
- In my own mind, I’m ~
- He/She thinks he/she is ~
Example: Yumi asks John how his Japanese studies are going.
ジョンさん、日本語の勉強はどうですか。
John, how are your Japanese studies going?
自分では頑張っているつもりなんですけど、まだ日本語が上手に話せません。
I think I’m working hard, but I still can’t speak Japanese well.
自分では (“as far as I’m concerned / in my own view”) often appears with this use.
When you use this pattern about other people, it can sound critical, as if to say “he thinks so, but he’s wrong.”
③ Nのつもりで / V-たつもりで: “as if ~ / with the mindset of ~”
This use expresses that someone acts while imagining a situation that isn’t real.
Unlike ① and ②, the speaker knows it isn’t true.
It is an intentional “let’s imagine.”
Example: A soccer coach is unhappy because the players aren’t taking practice seriously.
試合のつもりで、練習しろ！
Practice as if it’s a real match!
練習しろ is the imperative form, so it sounds strong.
It is typical of a coach speaking to players.
2. Formation
Basic pattern
Verb
- V-た + つもり
- 送る → 送ったつもり
- 閉める → 閉めたつもり
- V-ている + つもり
- 頑張る → 頑張っているつもり
- わかる → わかっているつもり
い-adjective
- 若い (young) → 若いつもり
な-adjective
な-adjectives take な.
- 元気 (healthy, energetic) → 元気なつもり
- You never say “元気つもり”
Noun
Nouns take の.
- 試合 (match) → 試合のつもり
- You never say “試合つもり”
Common endings
- つもりだ / つもりです: I believe that ~
- つもりだった / つもりでした + が・けど・のに: I thought ~, but (it wasn’t true)
- つもりなんですけど: a soft way to explain yourself
- つもりで + action: do ~ as if / believing that ~
3. Useful Examples
① V-たつもり: “I thought I had done ~”
Situation: Ken tells Emi what happened at the convenience store this morning.
レジで払おうとしたら、財布がなかったんです。財布をポケットに入れたつもりでしたが、入っていませんでした。
When I tried to pay at the register, my wallet wasn’t there. I thought I had put it in my pocket, but it wasn’t there.
えー！それは困りましたね。
Oh no! That must have been a problem.
鍵をかけたつもりだったのに、帰ったらドアが開いていた。
I was sure I had locked the door, but when I got home, it was open.
② V-ているつもり / Adjective + つもり: “I believe I am ~”
父は若いつもりだけど、無理をしてけがをしてしまった。
My father thinks he’s still young, but he pushed himself too hard and got hurt.
母は元気なつもりで登山をしているが、心配です。
My mother goes mountain climbing believing she’s perfectly healthy, but I worry about her.
彼はリーダーのつもりで、いつもみんなに指示を出している。
He acts like he’s the leader and is always giving everyone orders.
③ Nのつもりで / V-たつもりで: “as if ~”
Situation: Koki has an important presentation tomorrow.
明日のプレゼン、準備はどうですか。
How are your preparations for tomorrow’s presentation?
ちょっと緊張しています。
I’m a little nervous.
じゃあ、本番のつもりで、もう一度練習してみましょう。
Then let’s practice one more time as if it’s the real thing.
旅行に行ったつもりで、そのお金を貯金した。
I put the money into savings, pretending I had gone on a trip.
Note: In Japan, this saving method is called つもり貯金. You imagine you bought something (a coffee, a trip, etc.) and save that money instead.
4. Related grammar (comparison)
～と思っていた
～と思っていた (“I thought that ~”) is a more neutral way to say you believed something. It can be used for anything, including other people’s actions.
～たつもり, on the other hand, is about the subject’s own actions or condition, and it emphasizes their personal conviction (“I was sure I did it myself!”).
- 田中さんはもう帰ったと思っていました。= I thought Mr. Tanaka had already gone home.
- You cannot say “田中さんはもう帰ったつもりでした” with this meaning. That sentence would mean Mr. Tanaka himself believed he had gone home.
～ふりをする
～ふりをする means “to pretend to ~” in front of other people. It is a deliberate act to make others believe something false.
～つもり is about what happens inside someone’s own mind.
- 弟は勉強しているふりをして、マンガを読んでいた。= My little brother was pretending to study, but he was reading manga. → Fooling others
- 弟は勉強しているつもりだが、すぐにスマホを見てしまう。= My little brother thinks he’s studying, but he keeps checking his phone. → His own belief
5. Common Mistake: V-るつもりだった vs. V-たつもりだった
Both use つもりだった, so learners often mix them up. The only difference is the verb form, but the meaning is completely different. Remember this golden rule:
- V-る + つもりだった: “I was going to do it.” A past plan. You know you didn’t do it.
- V-た + つもりだった: “I thought I had done it.” You believed it was done, and you just found out it wasn’t.
Example: Your friend’s birthday was yesterday, and she didn’t get your message.
- ✅ 誕生日のメッセージを送るつもりだったんだけど、忘れちゃった。(I was going to send a birthday message, but I forgot.)
- ✅ 誕生日のメッセージを送ったつもりだったんだけど、送信できていなかった。(I thought I had sent a birthday message, but it didn’t go through.)
- ❌ Incorrect: 誕生日のメッセージを送ったつもりだったんだけど、忙しくて書けなかった。
You never even wrote it, so you never believed it was sent. Use 送るつもりだった here.
For more on V-るつもりだった (past plans), see How to Say “I Intend to” in Japanese | 〜つもりだ.
6. Practice
Translate the following into Japanese using ～つもり.
| Clue | Example Answer |
|---|---|
| I thought I had closed the window, but it was open. | 窓を閉めたつもりでしたが、開いていました。 |
| I think I understand it, but I can’t explain it well. | わかっているつもりですが、うまく説明できません。 |
| My father thinks he’s still young, but he got injured playing sports. | 父は自分では若いつもりですが、スポーツをしてけがをしました。 |
| Please solve these questions as if it were the real exam. | 本当の試験のつもりで、この問題を解いてください。 |
FAQ
- QIs the つもり in ～たつもり the same as in ～つもりだ (“I intend to”)?
- A
It’s the same word, but the meaning changes depending on what comes before it.
- V-る / V-ない + つもり → plan or intention (行くつもり = I plan to go)
- V-た / V-ている / adjective / noun + つもり → belief or imagination (行ったつもり = I thought I went / as if I went)
Always check the form before つもり!
- QDoes ～つもり sound rude when I use it about other people?
- A
It can. When you describe someone else with ～つもり, it often implies “they think so, but they’re wrong.” This can sound critical or sarcastic.
E.g., 彼は歌が上手なつもりらしい。= He seems to think he’s a good singer. (Implies he isn’t.)
Avoid using it about your boss, teachers, or customers.
- QWhat does そんなつもりじゃなかった mean?
- A
It means “I didn’t mean it that way.” Here, つもり means intention, not belief. People often say it when their words or actions accidentally hurt someone.
E.g., ごめん、そんなつもりじゃなかったんだ。= Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.
Conclusion
In this article, you learned how to use ～たつもり / ～ているつもり / Nのつもりで to talk about the gap between belief and reality in Japanese.
With this grammar, you can now:
- say “I thought I had done it” when something didn’t go as expected,
- describe how someone sees themselves, even when reality is different,
- and tell someone to act “as if” a situation were real.
