Volitional Form Explained with Let’s and I Will Patterns is one of those Japanese grammar topics that looks small, then quietly shows up everywhere. It’s the form you use when you want to say “Let’s do it,” “I’ll do it,” or “I’m going to do it.” Useful, right? Japanese is polite like that, except when it leaves the tiny but important job of deciding the ending to you.
For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide.
If you have already met masu form, ta form, and nai form, the volitional form is the next neat little tool to add to your belt. It sounds complicated, but the basic idea is simple: this form shows intention, invitation, or a casual decision.
Think of it as Japanese saying, “Cool, what do you want to do next?” without needing a whole dramatic speech about it.
What The Volitional Form Means
The volitional form is used for three main ideas:
- Invitation: “Let’s …”
- Intention: “I’ll …” or “I’m going to …”
- Casual suggestion: “Why don’t we …?”
The important thing is that this form often feels friendly and light. It is much less formal than a big polished plan. You will hear it in daily conversation all the time.
行こう。
Ikou.
Let’s go.
That tiny sentence does a lot of work. No extra fluff. No unnecessary drama. Just action.
How To Make The Volitional Form
The good news: the rules are regular enough to feel fair. That is a rare and beautiful thing in language learning.
| Verb Type | Pattern | Meaning | Example | Rōmaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U-verbs | Change the final sound to the ō-sound + う | Volitional / Let’s / I’ll | 行く → 行こう | iku → ikou | Let’s go / I’ll go |
| Ru-verbs | Drop る + よう | Volitional / Let’s / I’ll | 食べる → 食べよう | taberu → tabeyou | Let’s eat / I’ll eat |
| Irregular verbs | Special forms | Volitional / Let’s / I’ll | する → しよう | suru → shiyou | Let’s do it / I’ll do it |
| Irregular verbs | Special forms | Volitional / Let’s / I’ll | 来る → 来よう | kuru → koyou | Let’s come / I’ll come |
For u-verbs, the trick is to switch the last sound to the volitional ending. For ru-verbs, just remove る and add よう. For the irregular verbs, you simply memorize them, because of course you do. Japanese enjoys a tiny surprise now and then.
Common Volitional Form Patterns
These are the patterns you will hear most often in real Japanese.
| Kanji | Rōmaji | Meaning | Example Sentence | Rōmaji | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 行こう | ikou | Let’s go / I’ll go | 映画館へ行こう。 | Eigakan e ikou. | Let’s go to the movie theater. |
| 食べよう | tabeyou | Let’s eat / I’ll eat | まず昼ご飯を食べよう。 | Mazu hirugohan o tabeyou. | Let’s eat lunch first. |
| 見よう | miyou | Let’s watch / I’ll watch | この映画を見よう。 | Kono eiga o miyou. | Let’s watch this movie. |
| 買おう | kaou | Let’s buy / I’ll buy | 新しい靴を買おう。 | Atarashii kutsu o kaou. | Let’s buy new shoes. |
| 話そう | hanasou | Let’s talk / I’ll talk | あとで話そう。 | Ato de hanasou. | Let’s talk later. |
| 作ろう | tsukurou | Let’s make / I’ll make | 夕食を作ろう。 | Yuushoku o tsukurou. | Let’s make dinner. |
| 帰ろう | kaerou | Let’s go home / I’ll go home | もう帰ろう。 | Mou kaerou. | Let’s go home already. |
| 読もう | yomou | Let’s read / I’ll read | この本を読もう。 | Kono hon o yomou. | Let’s read this book. |
| 寝よう | neyou | Let’s sleep / I’ll sleep | 今日は早く寝よう。 | Kyou wa hayaku neyou. | Let’s sleep early today. |
| しよう | shiyou | Let’s do it / I’ll do it | 宿題をしよう。 | Shukudai o shiyou. | Let’s do homework. |
| 来よう | koyou | Let’s come / I’ll come | 明日また来よう。 | Ashita mata koyou. | Let’s come again tomorrow. |
Useful Phrases You Will Hear All The Time
These are the everyday phrases that make the volitional form feel alive instead of textbook-only.
| Kanji | Rōmaji | English Meaning | Example Sentence | Rōmaji | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 行こう | ikou | Let’s go | もう行こう。 | Mou ikou. | Let’s go already. |
| やろう | yarou | Let’s do it | 今やろう。 | Ima yarou. | Let’s do it now. |
| 食べよう | tabeyou | Let’s eat | 先に食べよう。 | Saki ni tabeyou. | Let’s eat first. |
| 飲もう | nomou | Let’s drink | お茶を飲もう。 | Ocha o nomou. | Let’s drink tea. |
| 休もう | yasumou | Let’s rest | 少し休もう。 | Sukoshi yasumou. | Let’s rest a little. |
| 頑張ろう | ganbarou | Let’s do our best | 明日も頑張ろう。 | Ashita mo ganbarou. | Let’s do our best tomorrow too. |
| 見よう | miyou | Let’s watch | 続きを見よう。 | Tsuzuki o miyou. | Let’s watch the rest. |
| 考えよう | kangaeyou | Let’s think about it | もう少し考えよう。 | Mou sukoshi kangaeyou. | Let’s think about it a little more. |
| 待とう | matou | Let’s wait / I’ll wait | ここで待とう。 | Koko de matou. | Let’s wait here. |
| 始めよう | hajimeyou | Let’s begin | さあ、始めよう。 | Saa, hajimeyou. | Okay, let’s begin. |
| 終わろう | owarou | Let’s finish | 今日はここで終わろう。 | Kyou wa koko de owarou. | Let’s finish here today. |
How To Use Volitional Form For “Let’s”
When you want to invite someone to do something with you, the volitional form is a natural choice.
Pattern: Verb volitional + よう or う ending
Example:
映画を見よう。
Eiga o miyou.
Let’s watch a movie.
This often feels softer and more casual than a direct command. It is friendly, not bossy. Unless, of course, you say it in that “we are definitely doing this” voice. Then it gets a little more intense.
You can also soften the invitation with 一緒に (issho ni, together):
一緒に行こう。
Issho ni ikou.
Let’s go together.
一緒に勉強しよう。
Issho ni benkyou shiyou.
Let’s study together.
How To Use Volitional Form For “I Will”
The same form can also show your own intention. In this case, English often uses “I’ll” or “I’m going to.”
Example:
私がやろう。
Watashi ga yarou.
I’ll do it.
先に帰ろう。
Saki ni kaerou.
I’ll go home first.
明日勉強しよう。
Ashita benkyou shiyou.
I’ll study tomorrow.
In real conversation, the context tells you whether the meaning is “Let’s” or “I’ll.” Japanese loves context. It also loves making learners do a little detective work, apparently.
Volitional Form With と思う
A very common pattern is volitional form + と思う (to omou, I think / I plan to). This is a polite and natural way to say what you intend to do.
Pattern: Verb volitional + と思う
Examples:
日本語を勉強しようと思います。
Nihongo o benkyou shiyou to omoimasu.
I’m thinking of studying Japanese.
早く寝ようと思う。
Hayaku neyou to omou.
I think I’ll go to sleep early.
This is especially useful when you want to sound thoughtful instead of sounding like you just made a dramatic promise on the spot.
Volitional Form With ましょう
There is a polite partner to the volitional form: ましょう (mashou). It is often translated as “let’s.”
Pattern: Verb stem + ましょう
Example:
行きましょう。
Ikimashou.
Let’s go.
食べましょう。
Tabemashou.
Let’s eat.
So what is the difference?
- 行こう is casual.
- 行きましょう is polite.
Simple. Clean. Helpful. The rare grammar topic that does not immediately demand a sacrifice.
Volitional Form With まい
There is also a less common, more literary pattern: まい (mai). This is not the everyday “let’s” form. It is used for negative intention or strong “I will not” style thoughts, usually in writing or formal speech.
Example:
もう二度と行くまい。
Mou nidoto iku mai.
I will never go again.
You do not need this one first if you are still building your basics. It is nice to recognize, but not the star of the show here.
Practice: Turn The Verb Into Volitional Form
Try these before checking the examples. A little practice now saves a lot of confusion later.
| Base Verb | Volitional Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 行く (iku) | 行こう (ikou) | Let’s go / I’ll go |
| 食べる (taberu) | 食べよう (tabeyou) | Let’s eat / I’ll eat |
| する (suru) | しよう (shiyou) | Let’s do it / I’ll do it |
| 来る (kuru) | 来よう (koyou) | Let’s come / I’ll come |
| 読む (yomu) | 読もう (yomou) | Let’s read / I’ll read |
| 話す (hanasu) | 話そう (hanasou) | Let’s talk / I’ll talk |
| 買う (kau) | 買おう (kaou) | Let’s buy / I’ll buy |
| 見る (miru) | 見よう (miyou) | Let’s watch / I’ll watch |
Spot The Difference
Look at the sentence and decide whether it sounds like a suggestion, a plan, or both.
- 映画を見よう。 = Let’s watch a movie / I’ll watch a movie
- 映画を見ましょう。 = Let’s watch a movie, politely
- 映画を見ようと思う。 = I think I’ll watch a movie
- 一緒に行こう。 = Let’s go together
- 今日から勉強しよう。 = I’ll start studying from today / Let’s start studying from today
Notice how the same ending can feel a little different depending on the sentence around it. Context does the heavy lifting again. Convenient for native speakers, slightly rude to learners. Balance, as always.
Common Mistakes And Fixes
| Common Mistake | Why It Happens | Better Version |
|---|---|---|
| Using the dictionary form instead of volitional form | It looks similar in meaning, but the intention is missing | 行く → 行こう |
| Forgetting よう with ru-verbs | The rule is easy to mix up with other forms | 食べる → 食べよう |
| Using polite ましょう in very casual chat every time | It can sound a bit stiff with close friends | Use 行こう in casual speech |
| Thinking volitional form always means “I will” | It can also mean “Let’s” | Check the context |
| Trying to force まい too early | It is advanced and literary | Focus on 行こう, しよう, 食べよう first |
Quick Reference Summary
Here is the short version to keep in your head:
- Volitional form = “Let’s” or “I’ll”
- Casual form = 行こう, 食べよう, しよう
- Polite form = 行きましょう, 食べましょう
- Intention = volitional + と思う
- Negative/rare = まい
And if you want a broader review path, it helps to pair this lesson with the masu form, the ta form, and the nai form. Grammar likes company.
For a quick skill check, the Japanese Placement Test JLPT and the Japanese Vocabulary Test are useful next stops.
Extra Vocabulary From This Lesson
| Kanji | Rōmaji | Meaning | Example Sentence | Rōmaji | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 意志 | ishi | will, intention | 強い意志があります。 | Tsuyoi ishi ga arimasu. | I have strong determination. |
| 予定 | yotei | plan, schedule | 明日の予定はありますか。 | Ashita no yotei wa arimasu ka. | Do you have plans for tomorrow? |
| 決める | kimeru | to decide | 今日は何を食べるか決めよう。 | Kyou wa nani o taberu ka kimeyou. | Let’s decide what to eat today. |
| 相談 | soudan | discussion, consultation | あとで相談しよう。 | Ato de soudan shiyou. | Let’s discuss it later. |
| 参加 | sanka | participation | そのイベントに参加しよう。 | Sono ibento ni sanka shiyou. | Let’s join that event. |
| 開始 | kaishi | start, beginning | 授業を開始しよう。 | Jugyou o kaishi shiyou. | Let’s start the class. |
Yak Takeaway
The volitional form is one of the most practical Japanese forms you can learn early. It helps you invite someone, express your own intention, and sound natural in everyday conversation. Once you know 行こう, 食べよう, しよう, and 行きましょう, you already have a powerful chunk of real Japanese in your pocket. Not bad for a grammar topic that looks like it should come with a warning label.
