つもりだった (tsumori datta)
～つもりだった — “I had intended to ～ (but…)”
Pattern
-
動詞辞書形＋つもりだったI had planned to do ～ (the plan did not happen) -
動詞た形／ない形＋つもりだったI thought I had done ～ (but I hadn't, or it was wrong)
Two meanings
With the dictionary form, 行くつもりだった means “I had planned to go.” With the ta-form, 確認したつもりだった means “I believed I had checked.” In both cases the speaker knows now that reality was different.
What usually follows
It is normally followed by a contrast such as が, のに or けど, then the real result: 行くつもりだったが、行けなかった. Without any follow-up it can sound unfinished.
Difference from ～つもりだ
～つもりだ states a present plan (明日行くつもりだ). ～つもりだった looks back at a plan or belief that is now over or turned out wrong.
Examples
-
行（い）くつもりだったが、用事（ようじ）ができて行（い）けなかった。
Iku tsumori datta ga, youji ga dekite ikenakatta.
I had intended to go, but something came up and I couldn’t.
Dictionary form + つもりだった = a plan that fell through.
-
早（はや）く寝（ね）るつもりだったのに、気（き）づけば真夜中（まよなか）だった。
Hayaku neru tsumori datta noni, kizukeba mayonaka datta.
I had intended to sleep early, but before I knew it, it was midnight.
のに adds a feeling of regret or surprise.
-
きちんと確認（かくにん）したつもりだったが、間違（まちが）いがあった。
Kichinto kakunin shita tsumori datta ga, machigai ga atta.
I thought I had checked it properly, but there was a mistake.
Ta-form + つもりだった = a belief that proved wrong.
Common mistakes
- Do not use it for a plan that was carried out as planned. It implies that reality differed from the intention.
- Dictionary form means “planned to”; ta-form means “believed I had”. Mixing them up changes the meaning completely.
More grammar points
- ばよかった ～ばよかった — I should have ～, if only I had ～
- ばかりで ～ばかりで — only ～ (and nothing else, with a negative feeling)
- ばかりでなく ～ばかりでなく — not only ～ but also ～
- だけでなく ～だけでなく — not only ～ but also ～
- だけど だけど — but, however (casual)
- ふりをする ～ふりをする — pretending to ～
- 一方（いっぽう）だ ～一方だ — keeps ～ing in one direction
- 一体（いったい） 一体 — what on earth ～ (emphasizing a question)
- じゃない ～じゃない — isn't it ～! (surprise or confirmation)
- か何（なに）か ～か何か — ～ or something
- 代（か）わりに ～代わりに — instead of ～, in return for ～
- 結局（けっきょく） 結局 — in the end, after all
- きり ～きり — only ～; ever since ～
- っけ ～っけ — was it ～? (recalling)
- ことになっている ～ことになっている — it is the rule or plan that ～
- ことは～が ～ことは～が — it is true that ～, but ～
- くせに ～くせに — even though ～ (with reproach)
- も～ば～も A も ～ば B も ～ — both A and B
Practice this in the app
Mainichi JLPT turns these grammar points into daily quizzes and a readiness gauge — 100% free, no sign-up.