nihongo wo benkyou shitai

OK. A quick and easy one for me today. Most Japanese students will have come across つもりです as a way of saying 'intend to do...'. It's an easy conjugation that you simply stick on the end of a base 3 (dictionary form) verb. For example:

English: My friend intends to go to Gas Panic in Roppongi.
Jenglish: [My friend][Roppongi][in][Gas Panic][to][go + intend]
日本語： 私の友達はロッポンギにGas Panicに行くつもりです。

I hasten to add that this is just an example sentence and in no way reflects that fact that I do have a friend that is going to Tokyo next week :-)

Essentially, つもり expresses an intention to do something. No definite plans have been made, but nonetheless, you have a conviction to carry out some wish. However, if you have made definite plans to do something, it's far better to use 予定です. Again this is a base 3 conjugation and means 'plan to'. It carry the implication that you have not only decided you want to do something, but have actually taken steps to achieve your goal. Consider the following:

今年、日本に行くつもりです。
今年、日本に行く予定です。

The first implies that I intend to go to Japan, but conveys no further information. The second not only states I have a desire to go to Japan, but that I have taken some (undisclosed) steps to achieve this.

Easy eh?

またね。