Posted inN4 Grammar

Expressing Your Intentions: Understanding ～ようと思う (You to Omou)

Posted inN4 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

Means ‘I think I will…’, ‘I am thinking of…’, or ‘I have decided to…’.

🎯 Primary Function

To express the speaker’s own intention or decision regarding a future action.

📋 Grammar Structure

Verb (Volitional form) + と 思う (to omou)

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Can be used with ～と思います, but more formal options like ～するつもりです exist.

😊 Informal Situations

Very common in casual conversation.

✍️ Written Language

Common in personal writing (diaries, casual emails) but less frequent in formal documents.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Extremely common and natural in everyday speech.

💡 Common Applications

Making personal plans or resolutions
Used to state what the speaker intends to do.
Example: 明日から毎日日本語を勉強しようと思う。(From tomorrow, I’ve decided to study Japanese every day.)
Expressing a sudden idea or decision
Used to convey a decision made at the moment of speaking.
Example: 今晩、外に食べに行こうと思う。(Tonight, I think I’ll go out to eat.)
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📊
Frequency
High in spoken Japanese.
🎚️
Difficulty
Medium (mainly due to volitional form conjugation).
Example Sentences
来週、日本へ行こうと思っています。
Next week, I am thinking of going to Japan.
明日から日本語を毎日勉強しようと思う。
From tomorrow, I’ve decided to study Japanese every day.
今日の夜は家でゆっくり休もうと思います。
Tonight, I think I’ll relax and rest at home.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Expresses the speaker’s own intention
This pattern is primarily used to express one’s own will or decision, not someone else’s.
Example: 〇 私はケーキを食べようと思う。(I think I’ll eat cake.) × 彼はケーキを食べようと思う。(He thinks he’ll eat cake – unnatural unless reporting his exact thought.)
Can imply a recent decision
Compared to ～つもりだ, ～ようと思う often suggests a decision made more recently, perhaps at the moment of speaking.
Example: よし、今から掃除しよう！そうしようと思った。(Okay, I’ll clean now! I just decided to do that.)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using for requests or invitations
✅ Use imperative forms, ～てください, or the volitional form alone (for invitations/suggestions).
～ようと思う expresses your own intention, not something you want or are suggesting someone else do.
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🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: ～ようと思います is polite, ～ようと思う is plain.
Social Situations: Used commonly in both polite and casual settings, depending on the ending form.
Regional Variations: No significant regional variations for this pattern.

🔍 Subtle Differences

～ようと思う vs ～たい
～ようと思う expresses intention/decision (“I think I will do…”), while ～たい expresses desire (“I want to do…”).
When to use: Use ～たい when stating a wish; use ～ようと思う when stating a plan or decision.
～ようと思う vs ～つもりだ
Both express intention, but ～つもりだ often implies a firmer, potentially longer-standing plan, while ～ようと思う can be a more immediate decision or a less concrete plan.
When to use: Use ～つもりだ for well-established plans; use ～ようと思う for recent decisions or intentions, or sometimes for slightly less firm plans.
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📝 Conjugation Notes

Review volitional form conjugation: – Group 1 (-u verbs): Change final う sound to おう (飲む -> 飲もう) – Group 2 (-eru/-iru verbs): Add よう (食べる -> 食べよう) – Irregular: する -> しよう, 来る (くる) -> 来よう (こよう)

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Ensure the long おう vowel sound in the volitional form. と思う is pronounced “to o-mou”.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of “Volitional Form + と思う = I think I will do it!”

Practice Exercises
What does ～ようと思う mean?
I want to do
I should do
I intend/think I will do
I must do
Choose the correct form: 私は (テレビを見る) ____ と思います。
見たい
見よう
見る
見ます
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