Only verbs for intentional actions have a volitional form! Verbs for things that “just happen,” like growing, or for situations that nobody has control over, like being able to do something, cannot be put into the volitional.
Japanese Articles
The volitional form: How to state intentions or suggest actions in Japanese?
By: Mayumi Ito Thu Jun 11 2026
JapaneseVerbs
In Japanese, you can use the volitional form, or 意向形[ikōkei], to express that you have decided to do something. This form ends with either う[u] or よう[yō]. For example:
You decide to study Japanese today and say to yourself:
volitional form日本語を勉強しよう。
Nihongo o benkyō shiyō.
I’ll study Japanese.
When you are tired, you decide to take five and murmur:
volitional form少し休もう。
Sukoshi yasumō.
I’ll take a short rest.
In this post, we’ll cover how to form and use the volitional, as well as some other ways you can express volition or determination, including with the non-past form of verbs, with 〜つもりだ[tsumori da], and with 〜ことにする[koto ni suru].
Let’s get started!
How to make the volitional form in Japanese?
The volitional form in Japanese will generally end with う[u] or よう[yō]. Exactly how you form it will depend on what verb group the action belongs to: ru-verb, u-verb, or irregular. Luckily, though, the volitional form does not conjugate, so there are no past or negative volitional forms to learn!
Important
Let’s look at how to form the volitional with different kinds of verbs:
Ru-verbs:
To form the volitional of a ru-verb, replace the final る[ru] of the dictionary form with よう[yō]. See the table below for examples.
Dictionary FormVolitional FormEnglish食べる
taberu
食べよう
tabeyō
eat
見る
miru
見よう
miyō
look at / see
U-verbs:
To form the volitional of a u-verb, replace the final “u” with “o”, then add う[u]. Note, though, that the combination of “ou” at the end of the volitional form is pronounced as a long vowel and usually spelled as “ō” in romaji.
Dictionary FormVolitional FormEnglish会う
au
会おう
aō
meet
書く
kaku
書こう
kakō
write
話す
hanasu
話そう
hanasō
speak
Irregular verbs:
For irregular verbs, we simply need to memorize their volitional forms! Notice, though, that they still end in よう[yō]!
Dictionary FormVolitional FormEnglishする
suru
しよう
shiyō
do
くる
kuru
こよう
koyō
come
Remember that you’ll need these irregular forms whenever you use する[suru] or くる[kuru] to make compound verbs!
Dictionary FormVolitional FormEnglish勉強する
benkyō suru
勉強しよう
benkyō shiyō
to study
連れてくる
tsurete kuru
連れてこよう
tsurete koyō
to bring someone
Exception!
The compound verb 愛する[ai suru], has the volitional form 愛そう[aisō], meaning “to make an effort to love.”
When to use the volitional form?
The volitional form is used to show your determination or plan to do something.
On its own, the volitional form is limited to two main uses:
Talking to yourself
You can use the volitional to express a plan to yourself, at the moment it occurs to you.
ああ、疲れた。少し休もう。
Ā, tsukareta. Sukoshi yasumō.
Phew, I’m tired. I’ll take a short rest.
おいしそう・・・。僕も昼はラーメンにしよう。
Oishisō…. Boku mo hiru wa rāmen ni shiyō.
That looks delicious…. I’ll have ramen for lunch too.
Offering a service in casual conversation
In a casual conversation, you can use the volitional form to offer a service to someone.
僕が荷物を持とう。
Boku ga nimotsu o motō.
Let me carry the baggage for you.
→ CasualImportant
The volitional is not used this way to offer a service in more polite or formal contexts, where you should use 〜ましょう[mashō] instead.
僕が荷物を持ちましょう。
Boku ga nimotsu o mochimashō.
Let me carry the baggage for you.
But you can use the volitional to quote someone who offered a service using 〜ましょう[mashō].
僕が荷物を持とうと山本さんが言いました。
Boku ga nimotsu o motō to Yamamoto san ga iimashita.
Mr. Yamamoto said that he would carry the baggage.
The volitional is also often used as part of a larger phrase. Let’s go through some of those constructions and when to use those.
Volitional form + と思う [to omou]
If you want to tell someone else about your own determination to do something, you’ll need to use the phrase と思う[to omou] after the volitional form. Literally, this means “I think that I’ll…”
volitional form
先生にメールを送ろうと思います。
Sensei ni mēru o okurō to omoimasu.
I think that I’ll send an email to my teacher.
You will sometimes want to put the ending と思う[to omou] into its te-iru form, と思っている[to omotte iru]. Often they’ll receive the same English translation, but the meaning is different! Here’s how you should decide which form to use:
Volitional form + と思う[to omou]
The normal form is typically used to express the speaker’s determination at the moment of decision.
volitionalnormal form来週から始めようと思います。
Raishū kara hajimeyō to omoimasu.
I think that I’ll start next week.
Volitional form + と思っている[to omotte iru]
The te-iru form is used when the decision was made previously but still hasn’t been carried out, so it’s still just a plan in the speaker’s mind.
volitional formte-iru form来週から始めようと思っています。
Raishū kara hajimeyō to omotte imasu.
I’ve been thinking I’ll start it next month.
→ The speaker had already made the decision to start next month prior to the conversation, but still hasn’t started it.You’ll also always use the te-iru form if you’re reporting on someone else’s plan or determination. Usually, in this case, you’ll also use it with a hearsay expression, like そうだ[sō da](I’ve heard…), since that’s the only way you’d know about someone else’s plans is if somebody told you about them.
- volitional formte-iru form
✅ ジョンは日本に留学しようと思っているそうだ。
Jon wa Nihon ni ryūgaku shiyō to omotte iru sō da.
I’ve heard that John thinks that he’ll study abroad in Japan.
- volitional formnormal form
❌ ジョンは日本に留学しようと思うそうだ。
Jon wa Nihon ni ryūgaku shiyō to omou sōda.
Important
If you want to tell someone about something that you intend to not do, you don’t use the volitional form! You’ll instead use the ending 〜ないでおこうと思う[-naide okō to omou] (-naide okō to omou) instead.
先生にはメールを送らないでおこうと思います。
Sensei ni wa mēru o okura naide okō to omoimasu.
I don’t think I’ll send an email to my teacher.
lit. I think that I will not send an email to my teacher.
Volitional form + か[ka]
You can use the volitional form before the question marker か[ka] to indicate that you’re still uncertain about the decision, so it could go either way. You’ll usually translate this with a phrase like “maybe I will…” or “I guess I will….”
volitional formquestion markerTalking to yourself:そろそろ仕事を始めようか。
Sorosoro shigoto o hajimeyō ka.
I guess I’ll start my work soon.
Telling someone else a plan using the te-iru form of と思う [to omou]:日本に留学しようかと思っています。
Nihon ni ryūgaku shiyō ka to omotte imasu.
I’ve been thinking that maybe I’ll study abroad in Japan.
Volitional form + とする[to suru]
You’ll use the volitional form before とする[to suru] in two main situations:
When you’re about to take action, based on your determination: “to be about to…”
volitional form僕が勉強を始めようとすると、なぜかいつも電話がかかってくる。
Boku ga benkyō o hajimeyō to suru to, nazeka itsumo denwa ga kakatte kuru.
Whenever I am about to begin studying, somehow I always get a phone call.
When the speaker tries and fails to do something: “try to… (without success)”
volitional formあかりをつけようとしたが、つかなかった。
Akari o tsukeyō to shita ga, tsukanakatta.
I tried to turn on the light, but it didn’t come on.
You can also use としない[to shinai], the negative form of とする(to suru), in a situation where someone continues to not do something, despite the wishes or expectations of others.
volitional formうちの猫は、まぐろのトロ以外は食べようとしない。
Uchi no neko wa, maguro no toro igai wa tabeyō to shinai.
Our cat makes no effort to eat anything except fatty tuna.
What are some other ways to discuss plans and decisions?
There are other ways to discuss a plan or determination to do something without using the volitional form. In this section we’ll cover how to do this using…
the non-past form of the verb
〜つもりだ[tsumori da]
〜ことにする[koto ni suru]
Let’s find out how to use them!
Non-past form of verbs
If you’re discussing a plan that you consider set, solid, or official, you can discuss it with the standard non-past form of the verb, rather than the volitional. The non-past forms are the dictionary form and its polite and negative equivalents.
Compare the translations between the non-past vs. volitional forms below:
- non-past
来週、日本へ行く / 行きます。
Raishū, Nihon e iku / ikimasu.
I’m going to Japan next week.
→ This is a set, scheduled plan that you could consider official. Probably you’ve bought the tickets, you’ve told people you’re going, you’ve requested the time off etc. - volitional
来週、日本に行こうと思っています。
Raishū, Nihon ni ikou to omotte imasu.
I think I’ll go to Japan next week.
→ You may be personally confident in your plans, but it is still just an intention in your own mind, not something you’d consider set, solid, or official.
So while you’ll use the volitional for a plan that you could reasonably introduce with a phrase like “I think…,” “I’ve decided to…” “I plan to…” or “I’m determined to…,” if it doesn’t make sense to use a phrase like that, it might be better to use the non-past instead.
You can also use the negative non-past for a set, solid, or official plan to not do something.
non-past
今日は買い物には行かない / 行きません。
Kyō wa kaimono ni wa ikanai / ikimasen.
I’m not going shopping today.
You can use the non-past form of verbs to express your plan at the moment of decision, as long as you are making a set, solid, or official plan.
non-past
もう帰るんですか。じゃあ、私も帰ります。
Mō kaeru n desu ka. Jā, watashi mo kaerimasu.
Are you going home now? Well then, I’m going home too.
If you want to talk about someone else’s plan, using the non-past, it will sound more natural and accurate to combine these endings with hearsay expressions such as 〜そうだ [-sō da](I’ve heard that…), since that clarifies how you know.
non-past
吉田さんはもうすぐ結婚するそうだ。
Yoshida san wa mō sugu kekkon suru sō da.
I’ve heard that Ms. Yoshida is getting married soon.
〜つもりだ [-tsumori da]
You can use the plain form (affirmative or negative) of a verb before the ending 〜つもりだ[-tsumori da] in very similar situations to when you might otherwise use the volitional.
Planned Action
plain form
〜つもりだ
tsumori da
明日は佐藤さんに会うつもりです。
Ashita wa Satō san ni au tsumori desu.
I intend to meet Mr. Sato tomorrow.
銀行へは寄らないつもりだ。
Ginkō e wa yoranai tsumori da.
I intend to not stop by the bank.
つもり[tsumori] is a noun meaning “intention,” so つもりだ[tsumori da] literally means “is an intention.” Using this structure will make your sound a bit more certain or emphatic than simply using the volitional form, but it still doesn’t represent a set, solid, or official plan.
Important
Only use 〜つもりだ[tsumori da] to express a plan or intention if you have made the decision beforehand. So you won’t use it at the moment you make the plan!
Speaker A:
今日は寒くなりそうよ。
Kyō wa samuku narisō yo.
It seems it’ll be cold today.
Speaker B:
❌えっ、じゃあ、コートを着ていくつもりだ。
E, jā, kōto o kite iku tsumori da.
What!? Well then, I have an intention to put my coat on!
In a case like this, use one of the other methods for expressing volition instead.
Here are some other variations on this structure:
You canuse the past tense of 〜つもりだ[tsumori da] to discuss a past intention.
plain formpast tense今日は映画を見に行くつもりだったが、忙しくて行けなかった。
Kyō wa eiga o mi ni iku tsumori datta ga, isogashikute ikenakatta.
I intended to go see a movie today, but I couldn’t go because I was busy.
You can use the negative form of 〜つもりだ[tsumori da] to say that you have no intention to do something:
plain form (affirmative)negative formいえ、反対するつもりはありません。
Ie, hantai suru tsumori wa arimasen.
No, I don’t mean to oppose it.
You can use a phrase with つもり[tsumori] to modify a noun, as in “those who intend to…”, as long as you follow it with the particle の[no], rather than だ[da].
plain formつもり [tsumori]nounキャンプに参加するつもりの人は手をあげてください。
Kyanpu ni sanka suru tsumori no hito wa te o agete kudasai.
People who intend to participate in the camping trip, please raise (your) hands.
You can ask about someone’s intentions using this ending too. In casual contexts, だ[da] is omitted and the question marker か[ka] is usually omitted too.
今夜、ニックのパーティーに行くつもり？
Konya, Nikku no pātii ni iku tsumori?
Are you planning to attend the party at Nick’s tonight?
To answer “yes” to a question like this, you can either use the whole phrase, verb + つもりだ[tsumori] or give the short answer form そのつもりだ[sono tsumori da]. In both cases, the だ[da] is optional. can be omitted in both answers too.
Long “yes” answer:うん、行くつもり(だ)。
Un, iku tsumori(da).
Yeah, I intend to go.
Short “yes” answer:うん、そのつもり(だ)。
Un, sono tsumori(da).
Yeah, that’s my intention.
If you want to answer “no”, you should clarify whether you don’t have an intention at all, or if you intend to not do something!
You plan to not do it:いや、行かないつもり(だ)。
Iya, ikanai tsumori(da).
Nope, I intend to not go.
You have no plan to do it:いや、そのつもりはない。
Iya, sono tsumori wa nai.
Nope, I have no such intention.
You can add よ[yo] to soften the tone of either negative response, but be aware that adding this sounds rather feminine!
Important
It can sound slightly accusatory to use 〜つもりだ[tsumori da] to ask someone’s intentions. As a result, using this to ask a superior’s intentions is generally considered too direct. To avoid any negative implications, use more neutral ways of discussing people’s plans, such as non-past form as below:
non-past今夜のパーティーにいらっしゃいますか。
Konya no pātii ni irasshaimasu ka.
Are you coming to tonight's party?
You can also use 〜つもりだ[tsumori da] along with expressions such as 〜らしい[...rashii](it seems that…) or だろう[darō](I guess…/perhaps…) to make a conjecture about someone’s intentions. To use with these expressions, we need to always drop だ[da] as below:
conjecture expression斉藤さんは会社をやめるつもりらしい。
Saitō san wa kaisha o yameru tsumori rashii.
It seems that Mr. Saito is intending to leave the company for good.
たぶんチュンさんは国に帰るつもりだろう。
Tabun Chun san wa kuni ni kaeru tsumori darō.
I’d guess Chun is intending to go back to her home country.
A related expression: 〜予定だ [yotei da]
The ending 〜予定だ[yotei da] can be used much like 〜つもりだ[-tsumori da] in a sentence, but where つもり[tsumori] means “intention,” 予定[yotei] means “scheduled plan.” As a result, 〜予定だ[yotei da] tends to be used when a plan is scheduled officially.
- dictionary form
明日から１週間留守にする予定です。
Ashita kara isshūkan rusu ni suru yotei desu.
I plan to be away from home for one week starting tomorrow.
- noun + の [no]
家に帰るのは 火曜日の予定です。
Ie ni kaeru no wa kayōbi no yotei desu.
I’m planning to return on Tuesday.
lit. My coming home is planned for Tuesday.
〜ことにする [-koto ni suru]
You can use 〜ことにする[koto ni suru] to express that you’ve made a decision to do or not do something. This phrase follows a plain, non-past form, either affirmative or negative.
Planned Action
plain, non-past
〜ことにする
koto ni suru
Using this phrase focuses on the fact that a decision was made: now or in the past you’ve changed your plans. You can change the tense of the verb する[suru] to reflect when the decision is made.
The non-past of 〜ことにする[koto ni suru] is used at the moment of decision. In this case, this ending works a lot like similarly to the volitional form 〜(よ)う or the plain non-past form.
- dictionary formSpeaker A:
パパ、今日はママの誕生日だよ。
Papa, kyō wa mama no tanjōbi da yo.
Dad, today is Mom’s birthday, you know.
Speaker B:あ、そうか。じゃあ、バラの花とケーキを買って帰ることにするよ。
A, sō ka. Jā, bara no hana to kēki o katte kaeru koto ni suru yo.
Oh, that’s right. Well then, I’ll pick up roses and a cake on my way home.
- negative form (plain, non-past)Speaker A:
たまには早く帰ってきてほしいんだけど。
Tama ni wa hayaku kaette kite hoshii n da kedo.
I want you to come home early once in a while, you know.
Speaker B:そうだね。じゃあ、今日は残業しないことにするよ。
Sō da ne. Jā, kyō wa zangyō shinai koto ni suru yo.
Right. Well then, I will not work overtime today.
The past tense of the expression, 〜ことにした[koto ni shita], should be used if the the decision has been already made:
plain, non-past来年日本に行くことにしました。
Rainen Nihon ni iku koto ni shimashita.
I have decided to go to Japan next year.
天気が悪くなりそうだから、キャンプには行かないことにした。
Tenki ga waruku narisō da kara, kyanpu ni wa ikanai koto ni shita.
Since the weather seems to deteriorate, I’ve decided not to go camping.
To learn more about 〜ことにする[koto ni suru] and some related expressions, check out our post on expressing change in Japanese!
To sum up
In this post, we’ve covered when and how to use the volitional form in Japanese, and also looked at some other forms you can use to express your plans, decisions, or intentions. Here are the main points to remember:
On its own, the volitional form (ending in 〜う or 〜よう), is mostly used to tell yourself what you’re going to do next or to offer a service in a casual context. However, it can do more as part as a larger phrase:
Volitional form + と思う[to omou] → to tell someone else about your plans, or someone else’s plans, with と思っている[to omotte iru].
Volitional form + か[ka] → to tell someone about a plan you have that’s still a bit uncertain
Volitional form + とする[to suru] → to tell someone you’re about to take action or that you tried and failed to do something
You can also use other phrases to talk about your future plans, including…
The non-past form → for a plan that is more solid, set, or official
The non-past form + 〜つもりだ[tsumori da] → for an established intention
The non-past form + 〜ことにする[koto ni suru] → for a decision made in the past or in the moment
Ready to practice what you’ve learned? Check out these Japanese volitional form activities to test your skills. Happy learning!
