つもりAssumed completion versus reality
This use presents someone's sincere belief that an action was completed or understood in a certain way, while the context shows that reality or another person's interpretation does not fully match that belief.
Belief on one side, evidence on the other
The past form before つもり identifies the action the person believes was completed. The surrounding sentence then reveals a gap: perhaps the result was incomplete, the action failed technically, or another person understood it differently. Connectors such as が, けど, and のに often introduce that conflicting evidence.
A current self-assessment
説明したつもりですが、要点が相手に伝わっていませんでした。
I thought I had explained it, but the main point had not gotten across.
AnalyzeThe speaker sincerely counts the explanation as completed, while its unsuccessful result shows the mismatch.
Where the two past markers belong
Swipe sideways to compare every column.
| Pattern | Action | Belief |
|---|---|---|
| Past plain verb + つもりだ | Believed to be completed | Held now |
| Past plain verb + つもりだった | Believed to have been completed | Held at an earlier time |
The verb's past form describes the supposedly completed action; the final past ending places the belief itself in the past.
A belief corrected by later evidence
メールを送ったつもりだったが、送信済みフォルダーにはなく、下書きに残っていた。
I had thought I had sent the email, but it was not in the sent folder and was still saved as a draft.
AnalyzeThe draft provides later evidence that overturns the earlier belief.
Completed action or former plan?
Do not confuse 送ったつもりだった, an earlier belief that something had been sent, with a nonpast verb before つもりだった, which describes a former intention to do something. The form immediately before つもり determines whether the action is viewed as already completed or merely planned.
昨日は早く寝るつもりだったが、急な仕事が入った。
I had intended to go to bed early yesterday, but some urgent work came up.
AnalyzeThis is the neighboring intention use: the planned action is expressed with a nonpast verb.
Talking about someone else's belief
With another person as the subject, give a basis for knowing what that person believed, such as their own statement or behavior. The construction can then create distance between that person's assessment and the narrator's view of what actually happened.
彼は十分に謝ったつもりだと言っているが、相手はそう受け取っていない。
He says that he believes he apologized sufficiently, but the other person does not see it that way.
AnalyzeHis own statement supplies access to his belief, while the second clause makes the differing interpretation explicit.
Negative self-assessments
A negative action can appear before つもり when the speaker sincerely believes they did not do something, but the outcome or another person's reaction challenges that assessment. The mismatch still needs to be clear.
Sincere belief, deliberate fiction, or pretense?
たつもりだ here presents a sincere assessment that may be wrong. By contrast, たつもりで can mean knowingly acting on an imagined situation, while ふりをする means deliberately creating an outward appearance. Neither of those requires the person to mistake the fiction for reality.
More examples
予約を取り消したつもりだったのに、予約はそのまま残っていた。
I thought I had canceled the reservation, but it was still there.
Analyze丁寧に断ったつもりですが、かえって期待を持たせてしまったようです。
I thought I had declined politely, but it seems I gave them false hope instead.
Analyze彼女は冗談を言ったつもりだと説明したが、周囲には悪口に聞こえた。
She explained that she believed she had been joking, but to those around her it sounded like an insult.
Analyze鍵をかけたつもりだったが、朝見るとドアは開いていた。
I had thought I locked the door, but when I looked in the morning, it was open.
Analyze全部読んだつもりだったのに、重要な一ページを飛ばしていた。
I thought I had read all of it, but I had skipped one important page.
Analyze余計なことは言わなかったつもりだが、彼を傷つけたらしい。
I did not think I had said anything unnecessary, but apparently I hurt him.
Analyze私としては十分配慮したつもりです。しかし、説明が足りなかったことは認めます。
From my perspective, I believed I had shown sufficient consideration. However, I admit that my explanation was inadequate.
Analyze