N4 · Unit 8
Lesson 32Decisions, plans, and reported information
Distinguish personal intention, a chosen decision, an external arrangement, and information heard from another source.
What you learn
Distinguish personal intention, a chosen decision, an external arrangement, and information heard from another source.
Learning points
- Intentions
- Decisions and arrangements
- Reported information
Why this lesson comes now
This lesson connects what you can already say to a new way of expressing it. Hear the key sentences, understand the structure, then use it in a real situation.
Your next step
Listen to the key sentences, understand the pattern, finish the examples and vocabulary, then continue to the next lesson.
Open the interactive lessonCore pattern
動詞基本形 / ない形 + つもりです ・ 動詞基本形 / ない形 + ことに します / しました ・ 動詞基本形 / ない形 + ことに なりました ・ 普通形 + そうです ・ 動詞て + ほしいですBeginner explanation
〜つもりです states a personal plan formed before speaking. 〜ことにしました emphasizes the speaker's own decision, while 〜ことになりました usually describes an arrangement produced by an organization, circumstances, or a group decision. Plain form＋そうです reports information heard from a person, news source, or forecast, often introduced with 〜によると. 〜てほしい expresses a wish for someone else to act, but use a more polite request with a senior or stranger.
Understand these sentences first
- 来年 日本へ 留学する つもりです。rainen Nihon e ryūgaku suru tsumori desu
I plan to study in Japan next year.
- 健康の ために、毎朝 歩くことに しました。kenkō no tame ni, maiasa aruku koto ni shimashita
For my health, I decided to walk every morning.
- 来月から 大阪で 働くことに なりました。raigetsu kara Ōsaka de hataraku koto ni narimashita
It has been arranged that I will work in Osaka from next month.
- 天気予報によると、明日は 雪が 降るそうです。tenki yohō ni yoru to, ashita wa yuki ga furu sō desu
According to the weather forecast, it is going to snow tomorrow.
Core vocabulary
- 予定よていplan; schedule
- 天気予報てんきよほうweather forecast
- 留学しますりゅうがくしますstudy abroad
- 入学しますにゅうがくしますenter school
- 出張しますしゅっちょうしますgo on a business trip
- 決まりますきまりますbe decided
- 手伝いますてつだいますhelp
- うわさうわさrumor
Grammar, one point at a time
Dictionary or nai-form + つもりです states an intention formed before speaking
Vる／Vない + つもりですIt reports a current intention, not a confirmed booking or guaranteed outcome. Use Vないつもりです for an intention not to act.
Examples
- 来年 日本へ 留学する つもりです。I intend to study in Japan next year.
- 今は 車を 買わない つもりです。I do not intend to buy a car now.
ことにします marks a choice made now
Vる／Vない + ことにしますThe subject is the decision-maker. This form often makes a choice at speaking time or announces a policy adopted from now on.
Examples
- 今日は タクシーで 帰ることに します。I will choose to go home by taxi today.
- 明日から 甘い物を 食べないことに します。I will stop eating sweets from tomorrow.
ことにしました marks a decision the speaker has made
Vる／Vない + ことにしましたThe decision predates the utterance, though the action may not have begun. It foregrounds a choice by me or us, not an external arrangement.
Examples
- 飛行機で 行くことに しました。I decided to go by plane.
- 今年は 旅行に 行かないことに しました。I decided not to travel this year.
ことになりました describes an arrangement formed by an organization, circumstances, or joint agreement
Vる／Vない + ことになりましたThis pattern foregrounds that matters have been settled. It may politely announce a decision involving the speaker, but should not be used to obscure actual responsibility.
Examples
- 来月から 大阪で 働くことに なりました。It has been arranged that I will work in Osaka next month.
- 今週は 会議を 行わないことに なりました。It has been decided that there will be no meeting this week.
Plain form + そうです reports information heard from a person or source
普通形 + そうですUse ニュース／天気予報／説明によると to identify a source. Present affirmative nouns and na-adjectives take だそうです. Put negative and past meaning inside the reported plain form.
Examples
- 天気予報によると、明日は 雨が 降るそうです。According to the forecast, it will rain tomorrow.
- 担当者は 来週 暇だそうです。I hear the person in charge is free next week.
- その 番組は 面白くないそうです。I hear that program is not interesting.
Vて + ほしい expresses a wish for another person to act
人に + Vて + ほしいですThis states the speaker's wish; it is not automatically a polite request. With a senior, stranger, or when the other person needs room to decline, use a request such as Vていただけますか.
Examples
- 田中さんに 旅行の 予定を 手伝ってほしいです。I want Tanaka to help with the travel plan.
- すみません、確認していただけますか。Excuse me, could you please check it?
Expressions and situations
Context decides whether 今度 means this time, the upcoming one, or next time
今度の日曜日 normally points to the next Sunday encountered from now. If the date could be ambiguous, give the calendar date or say 次の日曜日.
- 今度の 会議は 10時からです。The next meeting starts at ten.
ずっと with a time range means throughout that whole period
先月からずっと continues from last month until now, whereas Lesson 12's ずっと安い means much cheaper.
- 連休中は ずっと 家に います。I will stay home throughout the holiday period.
メールがある can mean there is a message; modern everyday speech also uses 届く or 来る
田中さんからメールがありました is natural; 届きました or 来ました states arrival more directly.
- 会社から 連絡の メールが 届きました。A notice email arrived from the company.
お邪魔します is a courteous phrase when entering another person's home or workspace
Say お邪魔します on entering and お邪魔しました when leaving. It is not a universal greeting for every meeting.
- お邪魔します。Excuse me for coming in.
- どうも お邪魔しました。Thank you; excuse me for having disturbed you.
In casual conversation, って can replace quotative と or topic-marking という人は
遅れるって言った means said they would be late; 田中さんって introduces Tanaka as the topic. Avoid this contraction in formal writing.
- 「少し 遅れる」って 言っていました。They said they would be a little late.
A hearsay sentence should separate source, publication time, and reported content
によると names a source grammatically but does not prove the report is true. For changing information such as weather, holidays, or influenza, check the current official release.
- 気象庁の 最新の 予報によると、午後は 雨だそうです。According to the latest JMA forecast, it will rain this afternoon.
Directly asking a senior どうするつもりですか may sound like probing their intention
To ask politely, say ご予定はお決まりでしょうか or ask about a specific shareable arrangement.
- 来週の ご予定は お決まりでしょうか。Have your plans for next week been settled?
できるだけ means as much as realistically possible
It is not a guarantee. できるだけ早く means as early as possible; state a hard deadline separately when one exists.
- できるだけ 早く 連絡します。I will contact you as soon as I can.
A ボーナス is pay beyond base salary; availability, frequency, and calculation depend on the actual scheme
Do not treat twice-yearly bonuses as a rule for every Japanese employer. Check the contract, work rules, and actual payment conditions.
- ボーナスの 条件を 確認します。I will check the bonus conditions.
What you should be able to do
- State positive and negative intentions with つもりです.
- Distinguish a choice made now with ことにします from a completed decision with ことにしました.
- Choose ことにしました or ことになりました according to who made the decision.
- Put verbs, adjectives, and nouns into the correct hearsay そうです forms.
- Distinguish 降るそうです from 降りそうです and identify the source.
- Complete an original holiday plan by checking actual days off, forecast updates, transport changes, and each participant's wishes.
Culture and real use
A holiday period is not a fixed package: check holidays by year and forecasts and notices each time
Golden Week is a common name for a spring period when several public holidays fall close together; it is not a statutory package guaranteeing everyone consecutive leave. Japan's Cabinet Office publishes each year's public holidays and legally resulting days off, while actual workdays depend on the employer and individual arrangement. The textbook's history of Coming-of-Age Day, Marine Day, Respect for the Aged Day, and the former Health and Sports Day is useful history, but the current name is Sports Day and dates should be checked against that year's official list. Likewise, 天気予報によると or ニュースによると identifies a source only. Weather and influenza trends require checking publication time, region, and current official information.
- 今年の 祝日と 会社の 休日を 確認します。I will check this year's public holidays and my employer's days off.
- 予報の 発表時刻を 確認します。I will check when the forecast was issued.
- うわさではなく、最新の 発生状況を 見ます。I will check the latest surveillance rather than a rumour.