Meaning
つもり expresses the speaker's original intention or assumption about what they thought they had done, but the actual situation turned out differently. This pattern emphasizes the gap between expectation and reality, often conveying surprise, regret, or frustration about unexpected outcomes. It's commonly used when discovering that something you thought was completed or true was actually not.
Formation
| Part of speech | Formation |
|---|---|
| 動詞（て形）いる | つもり |
| 動詞（た形） | つもり |
| 名词 | つもり |
Examples
-
先生が教えてくれた通りに発音しているつもりなのに、どうしてもうまくできない。
I'm trying to pronounce it the way my teacher taught me, but somehow I can't do it well. -
A:なんで昨日メールを返信してくれなかったの？ B:本当にごめん。返信したつもりだったんだけど、返信していなかったんだね。たぶんメールを書いている途中で寝ちゃったんだと思う。
A: Why didn't you reply to my email yesterday? B: I'm really sorry. I thought I had replied, but I guess I didn't. I probably fell asleep while writing the email. -
僕は冗談で言ったつもりなのに、彼はまじめにとった。
I meant it as a joke, but he took it seriously.
Summary
- つもり shows a mismatch between what the speaker intended/thought and what actually happened
- Formed with te-iru form, ta form, or nouns to express past intentions that didn't match reality
- Often conveys emotions like surprise, regret, or frustration about the unexpected situation