打算
to plan; to intend
dǎsuàn
What does 打算 mean?
打算 (dǎsuàn) means 'to plan to' or 'to intend to' — to have an idea of what you want to do, with some thought behind it but not necessarily a fixed schedule. It is most often used as a verb followed directly by another verb phrase: 我打算去中国 ('I plan to go to China'). It can also function as a noun: 你有什么打算? ('What are your plans?').
Two notes for English speakers: first, 打算 is softer than 'will' (会 / 要) — it leaves room for the plan to change. If you say 我打算明天去, the plan is real but not locked in; 我明天去 is a firmer statement. Second, 打算 implies forethought, unlike 想 (xiǎng, 'want to / would like to'), which can be a casual wish. 我想去 = I'd like to go; 我打算去 = I'm planning to go.
Character breakdown
to hit; verb prefix (here)
to calculate; to count; to consider
Memory hook: 算 means 'calculate / consider.' 打算 = to do the mental calculation about what to do next = to plan.
Example sentences
你周末打算做什么？
Nǐ zhōumò dǎsuàn zuò shénme?
What do you plan to do this weekend?
spoken
我打算明年去中国学中文。
Wǒ dǎsuàn míngnián qù Zhōngguó xué Zhōngwén.
I plan to go to China next year to study Chinese.
neutral
他原来打算开车，后来坐地铁去了。
Tā yuánlái dǎsuàn kāichē, hòulái zuò dìtiě qù le.
He originally planned to drive, but then took the subway.
neutral
你有什么打算吗？
Nǐ yǒu shénme dǎsuàn ma?
Do you have any plans?
spoken
Common phrases with 打算
Synonyms
计划 is a more formal, structured plan — a project plan, a study plan, a national plan. 打算 is everyday, personal intention. 'Tomorrow I plan to study' = 我打算; 'the company's five-year plan' = 计划.
Don't confuse 打算 with
算 alone means 'to calculate / count / consider as.' 打算 specifically means 'to plan / intend.' Different functions even though they share the character.