The Japanese Volitional Form (意向形): How to Express Intent and Suggestions

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The Japanese Volitional Form (意向形): How to Express Intent and Suggestions
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

The Volitional Form (意向形) expresses the speaker’s personal intention or plan, or is used to invite or suggest an action to the listener (casual equivalent of ～ましょう).

🎯 Primary Function

To express volition (intention) or suggestion.

📋 Grammar Structure

Verb (Plain Form) + conjugation
N/A (The volitional form applies only to verbs.)
N/A (The volitional form applies only to verbs.)
The negative volitional form (～まい) exists but is considered archaic, very formal, or literary, and is rarely used in modern conversation.

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Generally avoided; the polite equivalent (～ましょう) is used instead in formal proposals or invitations.

😊 Informal Situations

Highly common and standard when speaking with peers, family, or close subordinates.

✍️ Written Language

Common in personal letters, diaries, dialogue in fiction, and internal memos.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Extremely common, especially in making casual suggestions or conveying personal thought.

💡 Common Applications

Making Suggestions or Invitations
Used among friends, family, or people of equal/lower status to propose a shared action, meaning “Let’s do X.”
Example: 早く食べよう (Hayaku tabeyō).
Expressing Personal Intention (with と思う)
When followed by と思う or と考えている, it clearly states the speaker’s personal plan or decision.
Example: 来週から運動を始めようと思う (Raishū kara undō o hajimeyō to omou).
Expressing Attempt or Effort (with とする)
When followed by とする (volitional + to try/attempt), it means the subject was making an effort to perform the action.
Example: ドアを開けようとした (Doa o akeyō to shita).
📊
Frequency
High. It is a fundamental conjugation used constantly in casual speech.
🎚️
Difficulty
N4/N3 – Essential for transitioning to plain form speech.
Tag:

Related Kanji

JLPT N4 Kanji List

Related Vocabulary

JLPT N4 Vocabulary List
Example Sentences
Example #1
急いで準備をしよう。
Furigana: いそいでじゅんびをしよう。
Romaji: Isoide junbi o shiyō.
English: Let’s hurry up and get ready.
Example #2
少し休もうか。
Furigana: すこしやすもうか。
Romaji: Sukoshi yasumō ka.
English: Shall we rest for a little while?
Example #3
来月、新しいパソコンを買おうと思っている。
Furigana: らいげつ、あたらしいパソコンをかおうとおもっている。
Romaji: Raigetsu, atarashii pasokon o kaō to omotte iru.
English: I intend to buy a new computer next month.
Example #4
みんなで協力して、これを終わらせよう。
Furigana: みんなできょうりょくして、これをおわらせよう。
Romaji: Minna de kyōryoku shite, kore o owarase yō.
English: Let’s all work together and finish this.
Example #5
二度とこんなことがないようにしよう。
Furigana: にどとこんなことがないようにしよう。
Romaji: Nidoto konna koto ga nai yō ni shiyō.
English: We will try to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
Example #6
ドアを開けようとしたが、動かなかった。
Furigana: ドアをあけようとしたが、うごかなかった。
Romaji: Doa o akeyō to shita ga, ugokanakatta.
English: I tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t move.
Example #7
難しい仕事は後回しにしよう。
Furigana: むずかしいしごとはあとまわしにしよう。
Romaji: Muzukashii shigoto wa atomawashi ni shiyō.
English: Let’s leave the difficult tasks for later.
Example #8
雨が降っても、行こう。
Furigana: あめがふっても、いこう。
Romaji: Ame ga futte mo, ikō.
English: Even if it rains, let’s go.
Example #9
彼はお酒をもう二度と飲まないことにしようと決めた。
Furigana: かれはおさけをもうにどとのまないことにしようときめた。
Romaji: Kare wa osake o mō nidoto nomanai koto ni shiyō to kimeta.
English: He decided he would never drink alcohol again.
Example #10
家に帰ろう。
Furigana: いえにかえろう。
Romaji: Ie ni kaerō.
English: Let’s go home.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Plain Form of ましょう
The plain volitional form is the casual equivalent of the polite form (～ましょう). It is used for making suggestions.
Example: 来週、東京へ行こう (Raishū, Tōkyō e ikō).
Using 意向形 + と思う/とする
This construction expresses a strong intention or determination to achieve a goal.
Example: 試験に合格しようと一生懸命勉強した (Shiken ni gōkaku shiyō to isshōkenmei benkyō shita).
意向形 + とする (Attempting an Action)
When paired with とする, it means “to attempt” or “to be about to do” the action.
Example: 彼は急いで立ち上がろうとした (Kare wa isoide tachiagarō to shita).

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Group 1 conjugation errors, e.g., 泳ぐよう
✅ 泳ごう (Oyogō)
Group 1 verbs follow the う -> おう rule (e.g., 泳ぐ -> 泳ごう, not 泳ぐよう).
❌ Group 2 conjugation errors, e.g., 寝おう
✅ 寝よう (Neyō)
Group 2 verbs drop the final る and add よう (e.g., 寝る -> 寝よう, not 寝おう).
❌ Using the plain volitional form with a superior.
✅ 行くぞ (Iku zo) or 行こう (Ikō)
Using the volitional form alone is casual. If a polite suggestion is needed, ～ましょう is mandatory.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: The plain Volitional Form is very casual. Use ～ましょう (the polite volitional form) for politeness.
Social Situations: Best reserved for close social circles. It shows closeness and equality between speakers.
Regional Variations: The standard form is universally understood. However, certain regional dialects might use different particles or suffixes (e.g., some Kansai dialects use や for suggestions, though the standard conjugation remains the same).

🔍 Subtle Differences

意向形 (Volitional Form) vs. ましょう (Polite Volitional)
意向形 is the plain, casual form; ましょう is the polite, standard form.
When to use: Use 意向形 with friends and family; use ましょう with superiors or people you don’t know well.
意向形 + と思う vs. つもりだ
意向形 + と思う suggests an intention or thought about an action (often tentative or a recent decision). つもりだ expresses a firm plan or strong determination.
When to use: Use と思う for less certain plans; use つもりだ for definite plans.
意向形 + か vs. Verb (ます form) + ませんか
意向形 + か is a very casual invitation (e.g., 行こうか？). ませんか is a polite and softer invitation (e.g., 行きませんか？).
When to use: Use 意向形 + か with close peers; use ませんか in most other social settings.

📝 Conjugation Notes

Group 1 Verbs (う-verbs): Change the final syllable’s ‘u’ sound to the ‘o’ sound and add う (e.g., 飲む -> 飲もう, 待つ -> 待とう). Group 2 Verbs (る-verbs): Drop the final る and add よう (e.g., 食べる -> 食べよう, 見る -> 見よう). Irregular Verbs: する -> しよう, くる -> こよう.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

The volitional form always contains a long vowel sound (おう or よう). Be sure to sustain the vowel for two morae. For example, ‘いこう’ (ikō) is four sounds: i-k-o-u (or i-k-oo).

🧠 Memory Tips

For Group 1 verbs, remember the sound shift: ‘U’ is the base, ‘O-U’ (おう) is the intention. For Group 2 verbs, the ending ‘YŌ’ (よう) suggests “Let’s do this thing!”

Other Grammar

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