modality N3 common casualpolitewritten
〜つもりだった — had intended to ~ (but didn't)
〜つもりだった ・ つもりだった
Builds on 〜つもりで
Meaning
- had intended to ~ / thought I had ~ — an intention or belief that turned out not to match reality
Key sentence
早く帰るつもりだったが、結局終電になった。
I'd intended to go home early, but I ended up on the last train.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Plain-form verb | V(plain) + つもりだった | 行くつもりだった / 送ったつもりだった |
Examples
メールを送ったつもりだったが、下書きフォルダに残っていた。
I thought I'd sent the email, but it was still in the drafts folder.
全部片付けたつもりだったのに、まだ仕事が残っていた。
I thought I'd finished everything, yet there was still work left.
Easily confused with
Notes
- With a past verb (送ったつもりだった) it means 'I was sure I'd done X' — a self-correction when reality proves otherwise.
See 〜つもりだった in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜つもりだった the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.