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Definition 2024


つもり

つもり

Japanese

Noun

つもり (romaji tsumori)

  1. 積もり: intention, purpose, plan
     () ()もりだ。
    Iku tsumori da.
    I intend to go.
     (わたし) (かれ)電話 (でんわ)するつもりだ。
    Watashi wa kare ni denwa suru tsumori da.
    I'm going to call him.
  2. 積もり: conviction, belief

Usage notes

  • This word is usually written using hiragana alone (つもり) instead of kanji (積もり), as it is grammaticalized – compare みる (miru) (from 見る) and others.
  • つもり cannot be used as a nominal – 「つもりは…」 (The plan is…) is incorrect. It is rather a suffix, 〜つもり.
    • For a nominal meaning “plan”, 企画 (keikaku) or other such words are used instead.
  • 〜つもり has a different meaning when it follows a verb that is in the present-future (non-past, imperfective) tense – in which case it means “plan, intention” – and when it modifies either a verb in the past (perfective) tense, or an adjective, or a noun followed by 〜の – in which case it means “conviction, belief, impression, understanding”.
    • This latter usage is less-taught in textbooks; see Rubin reference for extended discussion. A humorous example use is, if asked 「アメリカの方ですか?」 (Are you American?) – and one in fact is – to reply 「アメリカ人のつもりですけど…」 (Well, I was the last time I looked…, literally I believe that I am an American [but I’m not completely sure]).

References

  • “Tsumori and the Vanishing Beefsteak”, in Making sense of Japanese: what the textbooks don’t tell you, Jay Rubin, pp. 101–104