意向形 (いこうけい), the volitional form, is the plain-form version of ましょう. 帰ろう means “let’s go home,” 食べよう means “let’s eat,” and when you say it to yourself — よし、頑張ろう — it means “right, I’m going to give it my all.”
At N5 you learned 帰りましょう. At N4 you learn the casual form behind it, and that form turns out to be a building block for several other patterns: 〜ようか (“shall I?”), 〜ようと思う (“I’m thinking of doing”), and later 〜ようとする (“try to”).
意向形 expresses the speaker’s will: an invitation to others (“let’s”) or a decision made on the spot (“I’ll”).
What does 意向形 mean?
The volitional form has two core meanings, and which one you get depends on who is being addressed.
- Invitation — “let’s.” Said to friends or family: 一緒に帰ろう — “Let’s go home together.”
- Decision — “I’ll / I’m going to.” Said to yourself or announced: 今日から毎日歩こう — “From today, I’m going to walk every day.”
Add か and it becomes an offer or a suggestion: 手伝おうか — “Shall I help?” / “Want me to help?”
The volitional form always reflects the speaker’s will. You cannot end a sentence with it to report what someone else intends, and you cannot use it with verbs nobody controls, like 降る (“to rain”) or 分かる (“to understand”).
How to form 意向形
The rules depend on the verb group — the same groups you use for the ない-form and the て-form.
| Group | Dictionary form | Volitional | ましょう form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 (う-verbs) | 行く | 行こう | 行きましょう |
| 話す | 話そう | 話しましょう | |
| 待つ | 待とう | 待ちましょう | |
| 買う | 買おう | 買いましょう | |
| 飲む | 飲もう | 飲みましょう | |
| 帰る | 帰ろう | 帰りましょう | |
| Group 2 (る-verbs) | 食べる | 食べよう | 食べましょう |
| 起きる | 起きよう | 起きましょう | |
| Irregular | する | しよう | しましょう |
| 来る | 来よう (こよう) | 来ましょう (きましょう) |
For Group 1, move the final sound to the o-row of the kana chart and add う: く→こう, す→そう, つ→とう, う→おう, む→もう, る→ろう. For Group 2, drop る and add よう. Watch 帰る: it looks like a る-verb but is Group 1, so it becomes 帰ろう, not 帰よう.
In writing, the long vowel is always spelled with う: 行こう, never 行こお.
When is 意向形 used?
- Casual invitations: 映画、見に行こうよ — among friends, family, and people younger than you.
- Talking to yourself: そろそろ寝よう — “I should get to bed.” People say this aloud or think it.
- Offers with か: 窓、開けようか — “Shall I open the window?”
- Before と思う: 来年、日本へ行こうと思う — “I’m thinking of going to Japan next year.” This is how you talk about plans in polite speech too: 行こうと思っています.
Because the volitional form is plain style, it belongs with people you speak casually to. With a teacher or a customer, use ましょう, ましょうか, or the plain volitional inside ようと思います.
意向形 example sentences
一緒に帰ろう。
Let’s go home together.
疲れたね。ちょっと休もう。
I’m worn out. Let’s take a quick break.
よし、明日から毎朝早く起きよう。
Right — from tomorrow, I’m getting up early every morning.
重そうだね。持とうか。
That looks heavy. Want me to carry it?
週末、映画を見に行こうよ。
Let’s go see a movie this weekend.
夏休みに日本へ旅行しようと思っています。
I’m planning to travel to Japan over the summer break.
The final よ in 行こうよ makes the invitation warmer and a bit more insistent. The final か in 持とうか turns your will into an offer the listener can accept or refuse.
Nuance of 意向形
When you say the volitional form to someone else, you are including yourself. 行こう is not “go!” but “let’s go” — you are part of the plan. That is why it feels friendly rather than bossy.
When you say it to nobody in particular, it expresses a decision made in the moment. Compare:
- 明日から走るつもりだ。 — I intend to start running tomorrow. (a plan you already have)
- よし、明日から走ろう。 — OK, I’m going to start running tomorrow. (deciding right now)
The volitional form alone sounds spontaneous. For a plan you have been thinking about for a while, ようと思う or つもり fits better.
ましょう is polite, not formal. Friends switching to 行きましょう can sound cold or sarcastic. Among equals, 行こう is the natural choice.
意向形 vs ましょう
Both say “let’s,” and both turn into offers with か. The difference is purely politeness.
Match the form to the rest of your speech. If you say です and ます to someone, invite them with ましょう. If you speak plain Japanese with them, use the volitional form.
Common mistakes with 意向形
よう attaches only to Group 2 verbs. Group 1 verbs change their last sound to the o-row: 行く → 行こう.
来る changes its vowel: こない, こよう. The き sound belongs to other forms, like 来ます and 来て.
The volitional form is plain style. With a teacher, use ましょう.
A bare volitional form only expresses your own will. To report someone else’s intention, use ようと思っている plus a hearsay ending.
Is 意向形 on the JLPT?
Yes. The volitional form is core N4 grammar. Grammar questions test the conjugation directly and inside longer patterns like 〜ようと思っています. In listening, friends use 〜よう and 〜ようか constantly to make and accept plans.
At N4 you should be able to:
- Conjugate Group 1, Group 2, and irregular verbs into the volitional form
- Tell an invitation (行こう) from an offer (行こうか) and a self-decision (頑張ろう)
- Use ようと思う to talk about your plans
Listening questions often hinge on 〜ようか. If a friend says 駅まで送ろうか, the question “what will the man do?” is answered by his offer — but only if the woman accepts it, so listen for her reply.
Practice questions for 意向形
Show answer
話そう、待とう、見よう、しよう。 — let’s talk, let’s wait, let’s look, let’s do it.
Show answer
一緒に昼ご飯を食べよう。 — Let’s have lunch together.
Show answer
手伝おうか。 — Want me to help?
Show answer
N4を受けようと思っています。 — I’m thinking of taking the N4.
Learning path for 意向形
Related grammar to review next
- ましょう — the polite “let’s”; switch to it whenever you use です／ます.
- ようと思う — volitional + と思う, for plans and intentions.
- つもり — a settled plan, compared with the on-the-spot decision of 〜よう.
- ようとする — the N3 pattern for “try to” that starts from the same conjugation.
Learn 意向形 with Hane
Hane drills the volitional form verb group by verb group, so 行こう, 食べよう, and 来よう come out right when a friend asks what you want to do. Practise N4 conjugations in Hane.
FAQ about 意向形
What does 意向形 (ikou-kei) mean in Japanese?
意向形 (ikou-kei) means “the volitional form; let’s do”. It is JLPT N4 grammar. The volitional form has two core meanings, and which one you get depends on who is being addressed.
How do you form 意向形 (ikou-kei)?
The rules depend on the verb group — the same groups you use for the ない-form and the て-form.
What is the difference between 意向形 and ましょう?
意向形 (〜よう／〜おう): plain style. ましょう: polite style.
What is an example sentence with 意向形 (ikou-kei)?
一緒に帰ろう。 — Let’s go home together.