What does ～つもりで mean? Japanese grammar N1

Forming it

How to use it

States a hypothetical MINDSET while acting: doing B as if A were the case (even though A isn't real).

• 「～つもりで」 = acting with the MINDSET of treating it as A: 「死んだつもりで頑張る」 (trying as if one had died), 「新人のつもりで学ぶ」.
• A is usually NOT real — it's a hypothetical used to remind oneself.
• Different from 「～つもりだ」 (intending/believing, sentence-final): 「つもりで」 is an adverbial leading into an action.

Examples

• 死(し)んだつもりで、一(いち)からやり直(なお)します。

  I’ll start over as though my old self had died.

• 新人(しんじん)のつもりで、基礎(きそ)から学(まな)び直(なお)した。

  Treating myself as a beginner, I relearned the basics.

Keep in mind

• It's an adverbial, leading into the following action.
• A is usually hypothetical.

Common mistakes

• Wrong留学(りゅうがく)するつもりで、来年(らいねん)行(い)きます。

  I intend to study abroad.

  Correct留学(りゅうがく)するつもりです。

  Stating an INTENTION ends the sentence with 「つもりだ」; 「つもりで」 is a hypothetical mindset leading into an action.

• Wrong新人(しんじん)つもりで学(まな)ぶ。

  I study with the mindset of a newcomer.

  Correct新人(しんじん)のつもりで学(まな)ぶ。

  A noun attaches with 「の」 before 「つもりで」.

Exam tips

• 「つもりで」 = with the mindset of treating it as A (adverbial); different from 「つもりだ」 (sentence-final).

Related patterns

• ～つもりだ
• ～ものとして
• ～かのように