予定

Plan/schedule

Level 2Sounds Like yotei

Use 予定（よてい） to talk about official schedules, itineraries, or plans that are 'on the books.' It sounds more objective and certain than just saying what you 'intend' to do.

How It Works

The pattern 予定（よてい） is used when a future event is treated as a matter of fact rather than a personal whim. While つもり focuses on your internal intention, 予定 focuses on the external arrangement.

Grammar Rules:

  • Verbs: [Dictionary Form] + 予定です (e.g., 行く予定です（いくよていです） - Scheduled to go)
  • Nouns: [Noun] + の + 予定です (e.g., 出張の予定です（しゅっちょうのよていです） - Scheduled for a business trip)
  • Negative: [Nai Form] + 予定です (e.g., 参加しない予定です（さんかしないよていです） - Scheduled not to participate)
  • Past Tense: [Dictionary Form] + 予定でした (e.g., 会う予定でした（あうよていでした） - Was scheduled to meet). This is commonly used to describe plans that were changed or cancelled.

Usage as a Noun:
予定 can also function as a standard noun. You will often hear the phrase 予定がある（よていがある） to mean "I have plans" or "I have a schedule."

Nuance:
Because it sounds objective, it is the standard choice for business contexts, travel itineraries, and news reports. It implies that the plan is unlikely to change without a specific reason because it has already been 'set.' Note that 予定 is strictly for human-made plans or schedules; it cannot be used for natural phenomena like weather (e.g., you cannot say "it is scheduled to rain").

Examples (4)

  1. 来週、日本へ出張する予定です。

    I am scheduled to go to Japan on a business trip next week.

    Word by Word: Next week, Japan to business-trip do plan is.

    The dictionary form of the verb 出張する (to go on a business trip) is used before 予定 to show a fixed work schedule.

  2. 会議は午後３時に始まる予定だ。

    The meeting is scheduled to start at 3:00 PM.

    Word by Word: Meeting as-for afternoon 3-o'clock at start plan is.

    This uses the casual copula だ to state an objective fact about a meeting time.

  3. 明日は休みの予定です。

    Tomorrow is scheduled to be a day off.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow as-for holiday 's plan is.

    When using a noun like 休み (holiday/break), you must use the particle の to connect it to 予定.

  4. 飛行機は１０時に到着する予定です。

    The plane is scheduled to arrive at 10:00.

    Word by Word: Airplane as-for 10-o'clock at arrive plan is.

    予定 is perfect for transportation schedules because they are fixed and objective.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 予定 for natural phenomena like weather.

    明日は雨が降る予定です。
    明日は雨が降るはずです。

    予定 implies a human-made plan or arrangement. Since humans don't 'schedule' the rain, you should use はず (expectation) or でしょう (probability) instead.

  • Forgetting the particle 'no' when connecting a noun.

    出張予定です。
    出張の予定です。

    Because 予定 is a noun, you must use the particle の to link it to another noun, just like any other noun-modifying structure in Japanese.

  • Using the polite 'masu' form before 予定.

    行きます予定です。
    行く予定です。

    Grammatically, 予定 is modified by the preceding phrase. In Japanese, you must use the 'plain form' (dictionary form) to modify a noun, even if the sentence ends politely with です.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

予定Level 2Plan/schedule

Learn This First

To use '予定' (plan/schedule), you need to understand how to modify nouns with verbs or other nouns. Since '予定' is a noun itself, it follows standard noun modification rules and is usually followed by a copula like 'です' or 'だ' to state what the plan is.

Words in This Pattern