Japanese Grammar In Its Natural Habitat
Wild Nihongo!
ようとおもう / まいとおもう

ようとおもう / まいとおもう

ようとおもう / まいとおもう Japanese Grammar Lesson

Grammar Type: Phrase

Essential Meaning: I think that I will do X / I think that I will not do X

Construction: 

  • Verb informal volitional + と思おもう
    • E.g 話はなそうと思おもう [I think that I will speak]
    • E.g. 食たべようと思おもう [I think that I will eat]
  • Verb informal nonpast + まいと思おもう
    • E.g. 話はなすまいと思おもう [I think that I will not speak]
    • E.g. 食たべるまいと思おもう [I think thatI will not eat]

Notes:

  • ようとおもう (ようと思おもう in kanji) expresses the speaker’s decision or desire to do something. It translates to “I think that I will do X“.
    • E.g. 私わたしは日本歴史にほんれきしを読よもうと思おもう。[I think I will read Japanese history.]
  • When the subject is not the first person, the nonpast form と思おもうcan NOT be used. The reason is that と思おもう refers specifically to the first person’s internal feelings. When the subject is not the first person, the stative form と思おもっている can be used instead.
    • E.g. *森もりさんはワープロを買かおうと思おもいます。[Mori-san thinks he will buy a word processor.] The simple nonpast formと思おもう can not be used with a third person subject.
    • E.g. 森もりさんはワープロを買かおうと思おもっています。[Mori-san is thinking of buying a word processor.] The stative form と思おもっている CAN be used with a third person subject.
  • ようと思おもう can not be used in an interrogative sentence, because the subject of an interrogative sentence is the second person. つもり may be used instead with interrogative sentences to convey the same concept.
    • E.g. *あの本ほんを読よもうと思おもいますか。[Do you think you will read that book?]
    • E.g. あの本ほんを読よむつもりですか。[Do you intend to read that book?]
  • The negative form of ようと思おもう is まいと思おもう, and the two conjugate slightly differently. Specifically, ようと思おもう is comprised of a volitional form verb + と思おもう, whereas まいと思おもう is comprised of an informal nonpast verb + まいと思おもう.
    • E.g. 私わたしはもう酒さけを飲のむまいと思おもう。[I think I will not drink sake anymore.]
    • E.g. 僕ぼくはあの人ひととはもう話はなすまいと思おもう。[I think I will not speak with that person any more.]
  • The verb that precedes ようと思おもう must be a controllable, volitional verb (i.e. an action that the speaker can actually control or moderate through his or her volition). Thus, potential and passive verbs generally do not work unless the speaker perceives the passive situation as somehow controllable.
    • E.g. たまには先生せんせいに褒ほめられようと思おもう。[I think I will do my best to be praised by my teacher every once in a while.] This example uses a passive verb, but the speaker feels that he can control through his actions the amount of praise that he receives from his teacher.

Example Sentences:

私わたしは日本歴史にほんれきしを読よもうと思おもう。[I think I will read Japanese history.]

私わたしはもう酒さけを飲のむまいと思おもう。[I think I will not drink sake anymore.]

夏休なつやすみに日本にほんアルプスに登のぼろうと思おもいます。[I think I will climb the Japanese Alps during summer vacation.]

森もりさんはワープロを買かおうと思おもっています。[Mori-san is thinking of buying a word processor.]

僕ぼくはあの人ひととはもう話はなすまいと思おもう。[I think I will not speak with that person any more.]

WILD Examples:

Listen to this line at 0:40: 今年ことしこそ何なにか始はじめようと思おうんだ [I think that I will for sure start something this year]
Listen to this line at 1:07: 時代じだいに流ながされて生いきるのはここでやめようと思おもう [I think that from here on I will quit being washed away with the times.] You can hear further examples around the 2:20 and 2:53 marks.

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