Expressing Intent

Spanish has several verbs and phrases that can be used to indicate intent. Here are some of the most common:

Tener la intención de: This phrase is the exact equivalent of the phrase "to have the intent of" in English, but in Spanish it is more common and less stuffy-sounding. It is nearly always followed by an infinitive (the verb form ending in -ar, -er or -ir).

• Tengo la intención de trabajar arduamente. I intend to work hard.
• Estos folletos tienen la intención de satisfacer la creciente demanda del público de obtener más información. These leaflets are intended to satisfy the growing public demand for more information.
• Nunca tuvo la intención de asesinarla. He never intended to murder her.
• Chirac tenía la intención de intervenir en el Líbano para defender los intereses de Francia. Chirac intended to intervene in Lebanon in order to defend French interests.

Pensar: This verb usually means "to think" or "to think about." But it can also have a stronger meaning, becoming the rough equivalent of "to intend." You'll need to rely on context to determine how strong of an intent is meant.

• Pensamos ganar la guerra. We plan on winning the war.
• No pienso asistir a la reunión pero estoy disponible para una conferencia telefónica. I don't intend to attend the meeting but I'm available for a telephone conference.

Pretender: Except in bad Spanglish, this verb does not mean "to pretend." It can mean "to intend" in the sense of either "to try to" or "to want to."

• Me llamo María y yo pretendo estudiar antropología. My name is Mary, and I'm planning to study anthropology.
• Si pretendes asistir a las clases, debes apuntarte en esta página con urgencia. If you intend to attend the classes, you ought to sign up on this page right now.

There are at least two verbs you may be tempted to use to indicate intent that you'd best avoid unless you know precisely what you're saying, intentar and planear.

The cognate intentar can, in a broad sense, mean "to intend" — but only if the intent is more than mental. It is usually translated as "to try" or "to attempt." Example: Intentaba cambiar mi contraseña, I tried to change my password.

Also, you may note that some of the English translations above used the verb "to plan" as a synonym for "to intend." Spanish also has a cognate, planear, meaning "to plan." However, it almost always means "to plot" or "to develop a plan" and should not be used to indicate mere intent. Example: El terrorista planeaba hacer explotar aviones, the terrorist plotted how to blow up planes.