Volitional Form (意向形): Expressing Intention, Invitation, and Attempt

Meaning & Usage

The volitional form (意向形いこうけい, ikoukei) covers three core functions in Japanese: expressing the speaker's personal intention or will, making invitations and suggestions, and slotting into grammatical patterns that describe attempts, decisions, or plans.

The basic meaning shifts between "I will ~" and "Let's ~" depending on context and intonation. A falling tone in speech tends to signal personal resolve: 明日あしたから頑張がんばろう ("I'll do my best starting tomorrow"). A rising tone, or a shared conversational context, turns the same form into an invitation: 行いこう！("Let's go!").

In polite speech, the ましょう form takes over the same job. 食たべましょう is the formal equivalent of 食たべよう — both can mean "let's eat" or "I shall eat" depending on context. At N3 level, you are expected to handle the plain volitional confidently and deploy it inside compound patterns.

Those compound patterns are where the volitional form earns its keep at this level:

• ～(よ)うと思おもう / ～(よ)うと思おもっている — to intend to do, to be thinking of doing

• ～(よ)うとする — to try to do; to be about to do

• ～(よ)うとしている — to be in the process of attempting to do

• ～(よ)うと決きめる — to decide to do

These patterns let you describe plans, express resolve, and narrate attempts — all functions you need for natural communication at the intermediate level. Japanese encodes what English spreads across "will," "shall," and "let's" into a single dedicated conjugation.

Structure & Formation

The volitional form is built differently depending on the verb group. Japanese verbs fall into three groups: Group 1 (u-verbs / godan verbs), Group 2 (ru-verbs / ichidan verbs), and Irregular verbs. Identifying the group correctly is the essential first step.

Group 1 — U-Verbs (Godan)

For Group 1 verbs, shift the final う-row sound of the dictionary form to its corresponding お-row sound, then add う. This applies to every possible ending: く→こう, ぐ→ごう, す→そう, つ→とう, ぬ→のう, ぶ→ぼう, む→もう, る→ろう, う→おう.

Group 2 — RU-Verbs (Ichidan)

For Group 2 verbs, drop the final る and add よう. One rule, no exceptions within the group.

不規則動詞ふきそくどうし — Irregular Verbs

Japanese has only two irregular verbs. Their volitional forms do not follow either group's pattern and need to be memorized.

主要しゅようなパターン — Key Compound Patterns

Example Sentences

基本的きほんてきな意向いこう・誘さそい — Basic Intention and Invitation

～と思おもう・～と思おもっている — Expressing Personal Intention

～とする・～としている — Attempting or Being About to Do

～と決きめる — Deciding to Do Something

ましょう — 丁寧ていねいな意向形いこうけい

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Using the Volitional to Describe Someone Else's Intentions

❌ 田中たなかさんは日本にほんに帰かえろうと思おもう。

✅ 田中たなかさんは日本にほんに帰かえろうと思おもっているようだ。

The pattern ～と思う (non-progressive) is reserved for the speaker's own intentions and thoughts. Attaching it directly to a third person implies you are declaring their inner state with certainty, which sounds presumptuous. To describe what someone else is thinking or planning, add ～と思っているようだ or ～と思っているらしい to signal that you are inferring rather than stating fact.

Mistake 2: Using て-Form Requests as Invitations

❌ 一緒いっしょに食たべて！ (intended as "let's eat together")

✅ 一緒いっしょに食たべよう！ ／ 食たべましょう！

The て-form is a casual command or request aimed at someone else — the speaker is not included in the action. For invitations where both people participate together ("let's ~"), you need the volitional form: plain volitional (よう / おう) in casual speech, and ましょう in polite speech.

Mistake 3: Incorrect Conjugation for Group 1 Verbs Ending in う

❌ 買かう → 買かいう (incorrect)

✅ 買かう → 買かおう (correct)

Verbs ending in う do not insert a い sound before the volitional ending. The final う shifts directly to おう — the entire う-row maps to the お-row for volitional conjugation. This mistake is common when learners look for a visual pattern rather than applying the phonetic row-shift rule consistently.

Mistake 4: Forgetting the Volitional Form Before とする

❌ 逃にげるとした (intended as "tried to escape")

✅ 逃にげようとした

「Tried to do ~」 and 「was about to do ~」 both require the volitional form before とする or とした. Using the plain dictionary form before と changes the meaning entirely — 逃にげるとした can read as "assuming that [someone] escapes" or simply produce an ungrammatical sentence. Always conjugate the main verb into its volitional form first when using this pattern.

Mistake 5: Assuming ましょうか Always Means "Shall We ~?"

❌ Treating ましょうか as exclusively a group invitation in all contexts ✅ ましょうか can also mean "Shall I ~?" when offering to do something for the listener

荷物にもつを持もちましょうか？ means "Shall I carry your luggage?" — an offer by the speaker for the listener's benefit, not a suggestion to carry it together. The ましょうか form serves two distinct functions: a shared invitation and a polite personal offer. Who benefits from the action tells you which reading applies.

Cultural Notes

In everyday conversation, the plain volitional (行いこう、食たべよう) is the natural choice among friends and close acquaintances. Reaching for ましょう in casual company can sound stiff — roughly like saying "Shall we proceed?" to a friend. Reading the room and matching the formality of your volitional form to the relationship is a real part of sounding natural.

The pattern ～と思おもっている reflects something deeper than grammar. Rather than declaring "I will do X" outright, Japanese speakers often prefer the softer framing of "I am thinking of doing X." This signals openness to others' input and reflects a cultural preference for group harmony and collaborative decision-making. In professional settings especially, phrasing intentions as considerations rather than announcements is read as respectful and socially aware.

The narrative pattern ～ようとしたとき (just as ~ was about to ~) is a staple of Japanese storytelling. It captures the precise moment an action was cut short, generating immediate dramatic tension. The structure appears constantly in everyday anecdotes, manga dialogue, and fiction alike — recognizing it quickly will sharpen both your reading speed and your own storytelling.

In 関西弁かんさいべん (Kansai dialect), volitional forms are often clipped in casual speech: 食たべよ instead of 食たべよう, and 行いこ instead of 行いこう. These shortened forms turn up constantly in media set in Osaka or Kyoto. Knowing them prevents confusion when you encounter authentic Kansai content.

Related Grammar Points

• Japanese Passive Voice (Grammar N3)
• Potential Form (可能形) — How to Express Ability (Grammar N3)
• Grammar Point: 気味 (gimi) — A Slight Tendency / Feeling A Bit Like (Grammar N3)
• ことにしている — Make It A Rule To / I Always Make Sure To (Grammar N3)
• ざるを得ない — Have No Choice But (Grammar N3)
• Imperative Form — Commanding and Ordering (Grammar N3)

JLPT Tips

On the JLPT N3 exam, the volitional form shows up most often inside compound patterns rather than standing alone. The most frequently tested combinations are ～(よ)うと思おもっている, ～(よ)うとする, and ～(よ)うとしたとき. Prioritize these compound forms over the standalone invitation use — they carry more diagnostic weight at N3 and appear in both the grammar and reading sections.

A contrast that surfaces repeatedly in grammar questions is ～つもりだ versus ～(よ)うと思おもっている. Both express intention, but つもりだ signals a firm, already-settled decision, while ～と思おもっている describes an intention still taking shape. In multiple-choice questions, the correct answer usually hinges on whether the context points to a pre-committed plan (つもりだ) or an idea the speaker is still weighing (～と思っている).

Another structure worth drilling is ～ようとする in the past tense describing an interrupted action: 窓まどを閉しめようとしたとき、雨あめが降ふり始はじめた (Just as I was about to close the window, it began to rain). Recognizing the pattern quickly — and identifying which action was attempted but never completed — is a recurring skill tested in the reading comprehension section.

Finally, watch out for false ru-verbs when conjugating under exam conditions. Verbs like 帰かえる (to return home), 走はしる (to run), and 切きる (to cut) look like Group 2 verbs but belong to Group 1. Their volitionals follow the Group 1 rule: 帰かえろう, 走はしろう, 切きろう. A reliable check: if the negative form drops る cleanly without altering the stem (e.g., 帰かえら-ない), it is Group 1. If a vowel precedes the ない (e.g., 食たべ-ない), it is Group 2.