ようとおもう

English translation:
I think I will
I think I shall
going to
gonna

Structure
Verb[( ) ] + と・思う
食べ ようと思う
もうと思う
こうと思う

View on Bunpro

So, I’m going through Genki II, and ようと思う listed in Bunpro isn’t quite the same as the grammar point listed in the textbook. Genki calls out a difference between ようと思っています and ようと思います (emphasis in the textbook, page 79):

ようと思っています - “tends to suggest that you have already decided to do something.”
ようと思います - “suggest that the decision to perform the activity is being made on the spot at the time of speaking.”

This difference isn’t called out in Bunpro, although there are example sentences that use both verb forms, with the following highlighted hints:
ようと思っている - [I am thinking I will]
ようと思う - [I think I will]

In English, those sound interchangeable to me, without the nuance Genki implies. (Incidentally, Genki II also doesn’t call out the short form at all, so I’m note sure if there’s any nuance/difference except for politeness level.)

Is this nuance strong enough that Bunpro should maybe have two grammar points, or at least a more descriptive clue than “I think/I am thinking”? All the self-study questions I put in for this point follow Genki’s lead, so I keep borking Bunpro’s sentences. ><

Also, the Reading tab - the “Japanese Snowfox” additional reading link is dead, and the Japanese Stack Exchange link seems to be a mix of both the Genki points and the Bunpro. :stuck_out_tongue:

1 Like

Hey :grinning:

Genki is absolutely right!
What is more, ようと思うis a direct declaration, so its usually only used with speaker’s writer’s intentions. On the other hand, verb[よう]と思っている is more objective and can be used for 2nd and 3rd person intentions.

We have added an explanation under grammar point :+1:

Fun fact, the same applies to ことにする vs ことにしている/ことにした (to decide to…)


It is so sad that Japanese Snowfox is down :sob: (I hope it is temporary), for the time being I have added different resource instead.