“〜tsumori de・〜kimochi de”: With the Mindset of 〜 (doing something) [JLPT N2]

Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026

「新人になったつもりで」「死んだつもりで頑張る」 — acting as if you were in a certain state or role, not your actual intention.

「死んだつもりで、もう一度挑戦する」 — imagining yourself in a certain state, then acting

Making a fresh start, 「死んだつもりで、もう一度挑戦する」 (with a do-or-die resolve, I'll try once more) — 「〜つもりで・〜気持ちで」 = with the mindset of ～ (doing something), imagining yourself in a certain state/role and acting in that spirit. It differs from the “intend to” 「つもりだ.」 This guide covers 「つもりで」's mindset use, 「たつもりで (as if already done)」's imagining use, and separates it from 「つもりだ (intend to).」

Core: imagine yourself in a state, act in that mindset

「〜つもりで／気持ちで」 means “with the mindset of ～, taking yourself as ～ (and doing something)”:

• noun の ＋ つもりで = with the mindset of ～, as if you were ～: プロのつもりで演奏する (play with a pro's mindset), 新人のつもりで一から学ぶ (learn from scratch as if a newcomer).
• verb た-form ＋ つもりで = as if you had already ～ (imagining it done): 買ったつもりで、そのお金を貯金する (as if you'd bought it, save that money).
• noun の ＋ 気持ちで = with the feeling of ～: 感謝の気持ちで接する (treat with a feeling of gratitude).

Feel: “with the mindset of ～／as if ～, doing it” — the core is placing yourself in a state, role, or imagined situation and acting in that spirit. It's a “mental setting for acting,” not an actual fact.

How it attaches

Examples in use

• 初心に返って、新人のつもりで頑張ります。(Back to basics, I'll work hard as if a newcomer.)
• だまされたつもりで、一度試してみて。(As if letting yourself be fooled, just give it a try.)
• 旅行に行ったつもりで、貯金することにした。(As if I'd gone on a trip, I decided to save the money.)
• お客様を家族のような気持ちでもてなす。(Treat guests with a feeling as if they were family.)
• 負けるつもりでは、試合に出ない。(You don't play a match with a mindset of losing.)

⚠️ Where learners slip up

① 「つもりで」 (act with a mindset) vs 「つもりだ」 (intend to): the difference is the ending. Both contain 「つもり,」 but mean different things. 「〜つもりで」 = with the mindset of ～, as if ～ (doing something): followed by an action, meaning “do it with that mindset/feeling”: プロのつもりで練習する (practice with a pro's mindset — placing yourself in the “pro” state to practice). 「〜つもりだ」 = intend to ～, plan to ～: expresses a future intention, plan: 明日、練習するつもりだ (I intend to practice tomorrow — an intention). Difference: 「つもりで」 is “do it with the mindset of ～ (a mental setting),” followed by an action; 「つもりだ」 is “intend to ～ (intention),” as a predicate. Test: to say “do it with the mindset of ～/as if ～” use つもりで (＋ action); to say “intend to ～, going to ～” use つもりだ. Don't confuse 「プロのつもりで練習する (practice with a pro's mindset)」 with 「プロになるつもりだ (intend to become a pro).」

② 「〜たつもりで」 = as if already ～ (imagining it done). 「verb た-form ＋ つもりで」 is a very practical use = “as if you'd already done ～ (though you haven't), acting on that pretense,” often for self-restraint, a change of heart: 買ったつもりで貯金する (as if you'd bought [it], save the money — pretend you bought it, thereby resisting spending), 旅行に行ったつもりで、お金を寄付した (as if I'd gone on a trip, I donated the money), だまされたつもりでやってみて (as if letting yourself be fooled, just try it — set aside doubt and try). It means “(you haven't actually ～, but) just imagine you've already ～, and then…,” often used to persuade yourself or others to let go, change heart, restrain desire. This 「たつもりで」 is very handy in daily life; especially 「だまされたつもりで (as if fooled) try it」 is a common phrase for coaxing someone to just give it a go.

③ 「気持ちで」 ≈ 「つもりで」, both ‘with the feeling/mindset of ～.' 「〜気持ちで」 and 「〜つもりで」 are close, both “with the feeling/mindset of ～ (doing it),” mostly interchangeable. Subtle difference: 「気持ちで」 leans ‘feeling, emotion' (感謝の気持ちで = with a feeling of gratitude, 祈るような気持ちで = with a prayerful feeling); 「つもりで」 leans ‘taking yourself as ～'s role/state' or ‘imagining' (プロのつもりで = taking yourself as a pro, 買ったつもりで = imagining you bought it). So to stress emotion/feeling use 「気持ちで,」 to stress role-placement/imagining use 「つもりで,」 but in many cases they're interchangeable (新人のつもりで／新人の気持ちで頑張る = work hard with a newcomer's mindset). To idiomatically express “act with the feeling/mindset of ～,” both are handy.

🔄 Compare: つもりで／気持ちで／つもりだ／たつもり（だ）

💡 How to remember this

「〜つもりで・気持ちで」 = with the mindset/feeling of ～ (doing something), placing yourself in a state, role, or imagining — three points: ① 「つもりで」 vs 「つもりだ」 — つもりで ＋ action = do it with the mindset of ～ (プロのつもりで練習), つもりだ = intend to (練習するつもりだ), the difference being the ending; ② 「〜たつもりで」 = as if already ～ (imagining) — very handy, often for restraint/change of heart (買ったつもりで貯金 = as if you'd bought it, save; だまされたつもりで試す = as if fooled, just try); ③ 「気持ちで」 ≈ 「つもりで」 — 気持ちで leans emotion (感謝の気持ちで), つもりで leans role-placement/imagining. This set is a “mental setting for acting” — to steel yourself “to do it with the resolve/mindset of ～,” 「〜つもりで」 is powerful (死んだつもりで = with a do-or-die resolve).

❓ Common questions

Q: 「つもりで」 and 「つもりだ」 both contain 「つもり」 — do they mean the same?

No — the difference is 「で」 vs 「だ」 and what follows. 「〜つもりで」 = with the mindset of ～, as if ～ (doing something): 「つもり」 is followed by 「で,」 then an action, meaning “do something with that mindset/feeling/pretense” — a “mental setting for acting”: プロのつもりで演奏する (play with a pro's mindset), 若いつもりで運動する (exercise as if still young), 買ったつもりで貯金する (as if you'd bought it, save the money). Its focus is “with the mindset of ～/as if ～, then do (the following action).” 「〜つもりだ」 = intend to ～, plan to ～: 「つもり」 is followed by 「だ／です」 as a predicate, expressing a future intention, plan: 来年、留学するつもりだ (I intend to study abroad next year), 彼に謝るつもりだ (I intend to apologize to him). Its focus is “intend to do ～ (intention).” Test: 「つもりで」 ＋ action = do it with the mindset of ～ (mental setting); 「つもりだ」 = intend to ～ (intention, plan). E.g. 「プロのつもりで頑張る (work hard with a pro's mindset — mindset)」 uses つもりで; 「プロになるつもりだ (intend to become a pro — intention)」 uses つもりだ. One is “(with a mindset) do it,” one is “intend to do it” — don't confuse them. There's also 「〜たつもり（だ）」 = “think one has done (but not really)” (やったつもりだったが、ミスがあった = I thought I'd done it well, but there was a mistake), yet another use.

Q: What does 「〜たつもりで」 mean? How do I understand 「買ったつもりで貯金する」?

「〜たつもりで」 = “as if you'd already ～ (though you haven't), then…,” a very handy imagining, change-of-heart use. It combines the “verb た-form” (marking completion) ＋ 「つもりで」 (as if, imagining), meaning “(you haven't actually done ～, but) just imagine you've already ～, and then (do the following),” often used to restrain desire, shift your mood, persuade yourself or others. Take 「買ったつもりで貯金する」: literally “as if you'd bought it, (then) save money” — meaning “(you haven't actually bought that thing you wanted, but) just imagine you've already bought it, that the money's already spent, and then save that money.” It's a psychological trick for restraining the urge to shop: fool yourself that “the money's spent anyway,” thereby resisting the purchase and saving. Similar examples:

• 旅行に行ったつもりで、その費用を貯金した (as if I'd gone on a trip, I saved the cost — didn't go, but imagined I did, and saved the money)
• 一杯飲んだつもりで、募金した (as if I'd had a drink, I donated — saved the drink money and donated)
• だまされたつもりで、一度やってみて (as if letting yourself be fooled, just try once — set aside doubt and give it a go)

The last, 「だまされたつもりで,」 is very common — a phrase for coaxing someone to just try: “(even if it turns out you were fooled, that's fine,) just imagine you're being fooled once and give it a try” — used to persuade someone to set aside doubt and try. So the core of 「〜たつもりで」 is “imagine you've already ～ (though you haven't), thereby shifting your heart/restraining/persuading,” a very practical, life-wisdom expression.

🖊️ Practice Questions (5)

Q1. 「新人になった___、一から勉強し直す。」(with the mindset of being a newcomer)

(A) つもりで　(B) ところで　(C) ばかりで　(D) どころで

Q2. 「旅行___つもりで来てください。」(as if it were a trip)

(A) の　(B) を　(C) が　(D) で

Q3. What does 「死んだつもりで頑張る」 mean?

(A) To work hard with a do-or-die mindset

(B) To really die

(C) To not try

(D) To want to rest

Q4. What is the difference between 「つもりで」 and 「つもりだ」?

(A) つもりで = do something with a certain mindset (attached to an action); つもりだ = sentence-final "intend to"

(B) They are exactly the same

(C) つもりで = sentence-final intention

(D) つもりだ = attached to an action

Q5. Which connection is correct?

(A) プロになるつもりで練習する。　(B) 旅行つもりで(名詞は の)。

(C) 死ぬだつもりで。　(D) 遊びをつもりで。

Answer Explanations

1. (A) つもりで ── With the mindset of being a newcomer.

2. (A) の ── 旅行のつもりで (noun＋の).

3. (A) ── To work hard with a do-or-die mindset.

4. (A) ── つもりで attaches to an action; つもりだ is sentence-final intention.

5. (A) ── 「プロになるつもりで練習」 is correct.