The verb “pensar” is one of the most important Spanish verbs. It’s not only because it helps us express what we believe or think but also because we can combine it with other words to build useful structures.
Native speakers often use “pensar en”, for example, as an equivalent to “to think about” in a way to express that they have their minds focused on something.
“Pensar en” has become a controversial phrase among Spanish learners because many people think they can use it in the sense of having an opinion. Yet, it is not correct to use “pensar” that way.
If you often hesitate about how you should use the verb “pensar” and how to use phrases like “pensar en”, you must keep reading this article.
Here, we will explain how to properly use the verb “pensar” as well as the Spanish phrase “pensar en”.
How to use “pensar”
“Pensar” is the Spanish word for “to think”.
We can use the verb “pensar” to express our thoughts or to say that we have our minds busy and focused on something. Usually, it also helps us to talk about what we believe and express our opinions.
It’s common to see “pensar” together with other words as we generally use it with prepositions like “de”, “que”, and “en”. Depending on what you want to say, you’ll need to use different “pensar” structures as they all have different purposes.
Still, in all cases, you’ll need to conjugate “pensar” in the right Spanish tense. For that reason, we will show you how to do it.
“Pensar” is an irregular verb in the present tense. Therefore, we have to change its root from “pens-“ to “piens-“ depending on the personal pronoun we use. On the flip side, in other Spanish tenses, it’ll keep the root “pens-“.
Since “pensar” only changes in the present tense, we will show you how to conjugate it in the indicative form.
| Verb conjugation | |
| Pensar | To think |
| Yo pienso | I think |
| Tú piensas | You think |
| Él/Ella/Usted piensa | He/She/You (formal) thinks/think |
| Nosotros pensamos | We think |
| Vosotros pensais | You (plural) think |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes piensan | They/You (plural) think |
Please note that the only two pronouns that don’t need to change pensar’s root are “nosotros” and “vosotros”.
Using “pensar” alone in a sentence isn’t common. When we do it, we often use “pensar” as a noun or to build phrases like “pensar mal” or “pensar bien”.
Here are some examples:
Pensar y luego existir es una filosofía que muchos deberian aplicar.
Thinking and then existing is a philosophy that many should apply.
No pienso mal de ellos.
I don’t think bad of them.
En muchos casos, el que piensa demasiado siente poco.
In many cases, who thinks too much feels too little.
How to use “pensar en”
It’s common to fall in love and keep our heads busy thinking about our loved ones.
In English, we can use “to think about” to express that we got our heads busy and focused thinking on someone or something. Also, it may also be helpful to say that we got an opinion.
As we said, we can use “pensar” en as an equivalent to “to think about”. However, we do it in a sense of having our thoughts busy and focused on someone or something.
So, if you fall in love, don’t be afraid of using phrases like “pienso en tí”. After all, there’s no doubt that it’ll help you achieve your goal.
Apart from being romantic, “pensar en” can help you talk about other topics. In almost every case, we use “pensar” together with a noun.
Thus, the formula you can use to build sentences is the following:
Subject + “pensar en” + article (definite or indefinite) + noun
Using a verb after “pensar en” is also possible. Nonetheless, it has to be in the infinitive form as it plays a noun’s role.
Here are some examples:
Pensamos en hablar.
We think about talking
Pienso mucho en carros porque me gusta la formula 1.
I think a lot about cars because I like Formula 1.
Pensaste mucho en bañarte.
You thought a lot about taking a bath
We can build negative sentences by placing “no” before “pensar en”.
Let’s have a look at the examples shown below:
Me gusta comer, pero no pienso en la comida todo el tiempo.
I like to eat, but I don’t think about food all the time.
Tu comentario me parece fuera de lugar y, por eso, no pienso cambiar.
Your comment seems out of place and, therefore, I do not intend to change myself.
How to use “pensar sobre”
“Pensar sobre” is an Spanish alternative to “pensar en”. It basically has the same meaning, but it’s way less common. Most Spanish learners overuse it because when translating “to think about”, they will frequently get “pensar sobre” as a result.
Just like with “pensar en”, we use “pensar sobre” with nouns and verbs. Here, the verb following “pensar sobre” should be in the infinitive form.
There’s a difference between using “pensar en” and “pensar sobre”, but before we explain it see the sentences below:
Pienso en tí.
I think of you.
Pienso sobre tí.
I think about you.
Pensamos en correr una maratón.
We think of running a marathon.
Pensamos sobre correr una maratón.
We think about running a marathon.
As you may realize, the way these examples are structured is quite the same. Nothing changes, but “en” and “sobre”.
Nevertheless, when we use (“pensar en” + verb + complement), we express that we have our thoughts focused on an activity and we are willing to do it.
On the other side, the point of view with “pensar sobre” is different. There’s no doubt that it also helps us express that we got our minds busy with an activity or action. Even so, we are evaluating the scenario and alternatives instead of being willing to do it.
Spanish tips for verbs
In conclusion, “pensar” is a very useful verb we can use together with prepositions like “de”, “en”, and “que”. Depending on the structure we use, we will be able to express our opinions or say why our thoughts are busy.
If you want to be romantic, “pensar en” is definitely your best resource. Also, you can’t forget that “pensar” is an irregular verb in the present tense. So, its root will change when conjugating it.
Keep in mind that if you use (“pensar en” + noun) or (“pensar en” + verb), you may need to add an article before the noun or conjugate the verb in the infinitive form.