Translation guide
How to express doing something intentionally, not by accident, in Japanese.
The most common way to say an action was done on purpose, with intent.
The standard, neutral adverb for doing something deliberately. Works in both spoken and written Japanese.
彼はわざと私を無視した。
He ignored me on purpose.
わざとじゃないよ。
I didn't do it on purpose.
More formal and often used in legal or serious contexts. Implies clear intent, sometimes with negative connotations.
彼は故意に規則を破った。
He deliberately broke the rules.
Means 'intentionally' or 'with intent'. Slightly formal, often used in analytical or explanatory contexts.
彼女は意図的にその話題を避けた。
She intentionally avoided the topic.
Emphasizing that something was not accidental, often in defense or clarification.
The most common way to say 'I didn't do it on purpose' or 'it wasn't intentional'.
ごめん、わざとじゃないんだ。
Sorry, I didn't do it on purpose.
Literally 'it's not a coincidence', used to assert that something was done intentionally.
これは偶然じゃない。誰かがわざとやったんだ。
This isn't a coincidence. Someone did it on purpose.
Doing something for a reason or with a goal, not just for the sake of it.
Attach to verb plain form to express doing something 'in order to'. This is the most common purpose expression.
日本語を勉強するために日本に来た。
I came to Japan on purpose to study Japanese.
Similar to ために, but often used with potential verbs or when the result is less directly controlled. More about 'so that'.
忘れないようにメモした。
I made a note on purpose so I wouldn't forget.
わざと is the everyday word for 'on purpose'. 故意に is formal and often used in legal or accusatory contexts. 意図的に is neutral-formal and focuses on the presence of intent.
わざと often implies a slightly negative or mischievous intent. For positive, goal-oriented actions, use 〜ために or 〜ように instead.
彼はわざとそれを壊した。
He broke it on purpose.
彼女は彼を避けるためにわざと早く帰った。
She left early on purpose to avoid him.