Volitional Form in Japanese

Overview

The volitional form expresses intention ("I will...") and suggestions ("let's..."). It is the casual equivalent of ましょう and one of the most useful B1 grammar points for making plans, suggesting activities, and expressing decisions. You will hear it constantly in everyday Japanese conversation.

Formation follows a predictable pattern: godan verbs change the final -u sound to -ou, and ichidan verbs replace -る with -よう. Once you internalize this conjugation, you gain access to several important grammar patterns built on the volitional, including ようと思う (intend to) and ようとする (try to).

The volitional form bridges casual and polite speech -- you can use it directly among friends (行こう "let's go") or embed it in polite structures (行こうと思います "I'm thinking of going").

How It Works

Formation

Verb Class	Rule	Dictionary Form	Volitional
Godan	Change -u to -ou	書く	書こう
Godan	Change -u to -ou	行く	行こう
Godan	Change -u to -ou	飲む	飲もう
Godan	Change -u to -ou	話す	話そう
Godan	Change -u to -ou	待つ	待とう
Ichidan	Drop -る, add -よう	食べる	食べよう
Ichidan	Drop -る, add -よう	見る	見よう
Irregular	Special	する	しよう
Irregular	Special	来る	来よう (こよう)

Polite equivalents

Casual (volitional)	Polite (ましょう)
行こう	行きましょう
食べよう	食べましょう
しよう	しましょう

Key patterns using the volitional

Pattern	Meaning	Example
Volitional (standalone)	Let's... / I'll...	帰ろう (Let's go home)
Volitional + か	Shall we...?	帰ろうか (Shall we go home?)
Volitional + と思う	I think I'll...	帰ろうと思う (I think I'll go home)
Volitional + とする	Try to / be about to	帰ろうとした (was about to go home)

Volitional for first person ("I will")

When used in the first person singular, the volitional expresses a personal decision or determination:

• 明日から早く起きよう。 (I'll start waking up early from tomorrow.)
• もっと頑張ろう。 (I'll try harder.)

Examples in Context

Japanese	English	Note
映画を見に行こう。	Let's go see a movie.	Casual suggestion
明日から運動しようと思います。	I think I'll start exercising tomorrow.	Intention with と思う
一緒に勉強しましょう。	Let's study together.	Polite suggestion
そろそろ帰ろうか。	Shall we head home soon?	Casual proposal
何を食べようか迷っています。	I can't decide what to eat.	Deliberation
今度の週末、どこに行こうか。	Where shall we go this weekend?	Planning
もう寝よう。	I'm going to sleep now.	Personal decision
タクシーで行きましょう。	Let's go by taxi.	Polite suggestion
新しいことに挑戦しよう。	Let's try something new.	Encouragement
出かけようとしたら、雨が降り始めた。	Just as I was about to go out, it started raining.	ようとする pattern

Common Mistakes

Confusing volitional with other -ou forms

• Wrong: Thinking 行こう is a different word from 行く
• Right: 行こう is the volitional conjugation of 行く
• Why: The -ou ending is the volitional marker for godan verbs. It is not a separate vocabulary item.

Using volitional for second/third person intentions

• Wrong: 彼は行こう。 (meaning "he intends to go")
• Right: 彼は行こうとしている。 or 彼は行くつもりだ。
• Why: The plain volitional is first person ("I will" / "let's"). For third person intentions, use ようとしている or つもりだ.

Mixing up ましょう and てください

• Wrong: ドアを閉めましょう。 (when asking someone to close the door)
• Right: ドアを閉めてください。 (request) vs. ドアを閉めましょう。 (let's close it together / I'll close it)
• Why: ましょう is a suggestion or offer, not a request. Use てください when asking someone else to do something.

Usage Notes

The volitional form is casual but not rude. It is the standard way friends suggest activities to each other. In contrast, ましょう is used in polite company, with strangers, or in professional settings.

The pattern ようか (volitional + か) is softer and more considerate than the bare volitional. 行こう sounds decisive; 行こうか sounds like you are checking whether the other person agrees.

Self-directed volitional statements (頑張ろう "I'll do my best") are common as internal motivation and in social media posts, diaries, and New Year's resolutions.

Practice Tips

• Start using the volitional in daily planning conversations. When suggesting activities to friends, practice 行こう, 食べよう, and しよう as your default casual suggestion forms.
• Practice the ようと思います pattern to describe your future plans in polite conversation. It is one of the most practical intermediate expressions.
• Write a list of resolutions or goals using volitional form: もっと日本語を勉強しよう、早く寝よう、etc.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Plain/Dictionary Form -- the volitional is conjugated from the dictionary form
• Next steps: ようと思う (intend to) -- combines volitional with と思う for expressing intentions