Pensar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

pensar — to think — is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Pensar means to think and to plan: pienso que sí, pienso viajar. It is an e → ie stem-changing verb (pienso, piensas, piensa). Pensar en is to think about, pensar de is to have an opinion about, and pensar + infinitive means to intend to do something. On this page you will find pensar in real sentences, grouped by meaning and tense, two short texts that show it in context, the mistakes learners actually make with it, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself.

Example sentences with pensar

In the present tense

  • “Yo pienso que tienes razón.” — “I think you are right.”
  • “Ella piensa en su familia.” — “She thinks about her family.”
  • “Nosotros pensamos viajar en verano.” — “We are planning to travel in summer.”
  • “Ellos piensan en cambiar de trabajo.” — “They are thinking about changing jobs.”
  • “¿Tú piensas lo mismo que yo?” — “Do you think the same as me?”
  • “Vosotros pensáis demasiado en el pasado.” — “You think too much about the past.”

In the preterite

  • “Ayer yo pensé en llamarte.” — “Yesterday I thought about calling you.”
  • “Ella pensó que era una buena idea.” — “She thought it was a good idea.”
  • “Nosotros pensamos en vender la casa.” — “We thought about selling the house.”
  • “Ellos pensaron que el examen era difícil.” — “They thought the exam was difficult.”
  • “¿Tú pensaste en mí durante el viaje?” — “Did you think of me during the trip?”
  • “El jefe pensó en cerrar la tienda.” — “The boss thought about closing the shop.”

In other tenses

The same verb in the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect — the four tenses that complete the picture. All forms come from the verified tables.

  • “De niño, yo pensaba que tienes razón en casa.” — “As a child, I used to think that you are right at home.”
  • “Mañana, yo pensaré que tienes razón en casa.” — “Tomorrow, I will think that you are right at home.”
  • “Si pudiera, yo pensaría que tienes razón en casa.” — “If I could, I would think that you are right at home.”
  • “Yo he pensado que tienes razón en casa.” — “I have thought that you are right at home.”

Pensar in context

Cada día, yo pienso que tienes razón en casa. Mi amigo también piensa que tienes razón en casa cuando tiene tiempo. Después, yo pienso que tienes razón de nuevo por la tarde. Es una parte normal de mi rutina, y por eso el presente de pensar es la primera forma que conviene aprender.

Ayer, yo pensé que tienes razón en casa. Mi amigo pensó que tienes razón en casa también, y por la noche yo pensé que tienes razón otra vez. Fue un día normal, pero es justo en días así cuando el pretérito de pensar aparece una y otra vez: una acción terminada, un momento concreto, y la historia sigue.

Common mistakes with pensar

Mistake 1

Wrong: Yo penso que sí.

Right: Yo pienso que sí.

Pensar changes e to ie: pienso, not penso.

Mistake 2

Wrong: Pienso de ti — wrong preposition.

Right: Yo pienso en ti.

To think about someone is pensar en; pensar de asks for an opinion.

Mistake 3

Wrong: Using the plain stem instead of the changed stem.

Right: Use the changed stem in the stressed forms: pienso.

The e → ie stem change applies to pensar in the present — the yo form is pienso, not the infinitive stem.

Mistake 4

Wrong: Treating pensar as a regular verb.

Right: Learn the irregular forms: present pienso, preterite pensé.

pensar is irregular — its present and preterite do not follow the regular endings, so they have to be memorised as a set.

Quiz: pensar in everyday use

Ten questions on pensar across the tenses. Answers with explanations follow each question.

1. What is the yo form of pensar in the present tense?

  • A) pienso
  • B) piensas
  • C) piensa
  • D) pensamos

Answer: A — The yo form in the present tense is pienso.

2. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of pensar in the present tense?

  • A) pienso
  • B) piensas
  • C) pensamos
  • D) piensa

Answer: D — The él/ella/Ud. form in the present tense is piensa.

3. What is the yo form of pensar in the preterite?

  • A) pensó
  • B) pensamos
  • C) pensé
  • D) pensaste

Answer: C — The yo form in the preterite is pensé.

4. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of pensar in the preterite?

  • A) pensó
  • B) pensaron
  • C) pensé
  • D) pensaste

Answer: B — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the preterite is pensaron.

5. What is the yo form of pensar in the imperfect?

  • A) pensaba
  • B) pensabas
  • C) pensaba
  • D) pensábamos

Answer: A — The yo form in the imperfect is pensaba.

6. What is the tú form of pensar in the future?

  • A) pensaré
  • B) pensará
  • C) pensaremos
  • D) pensarás

Answer: D — The tú form in the future is pensarás.

7. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of pensar in the conditional?

  • A) pensarías
  • B) pensaríamos
  • C) pensaría
  • D) pensaría

Answer: C — The él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional is pensaría.

8. What is the nosotros/as form of pensar in the present perfect?

  • A) ha pensado
  • B) hemos pensado
  • C) he pensado
  • D) has pensado

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the present perfect is hemos pensado.

9. Fill in the blank: “Yo ___ que tienes razón.” (I think you are right.)

  • A) pienso
  • B) piensas
  • C) piensa
  • D) pensamos

Answer: A — The sentence needs pienso.

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Yo pienso que sí.
  • B) Yo penso que sí.

Answer: A — Pensar changes e to ie: pienso, not penso.

Frequently asked questions

What does pensar mean?

pensar means “to think” in English. Pensar means to think and to plan: pienso que sí, pienso viajar. It is an e → ie stem-changing verb (pienso, piensas, piensa). Pensar en is to think about, pensar de is to have an opinion about, and pensar + infinitive means to intend to do something.

Is pensar regular?

No. pensar is an e → ie stem-changing irregular -ar verb (irregular in present, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative). It is irregular in present, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative, and those forms have to be learnt as a set rather than built by rule. The full conjugation page shows every tense.

When do I use pensar in the past — preterite or imperfect?

Use the preterite — pensé, pensaste, pensó — for a finished action at a specific moment, and the imperfect — pensaba, pensabas, pensaba — for what was happening, what used to happen, or the background. The same rule applies to pensar as to every Spanish verb; the tense changes the meaning, not the verb.

How can I practise pensar?

Start with the examples above, say them aloud, then take the quiz on this page. For more practice, use the Spanish Verb Quiz and the Pensar Conjugator, and read the full conjugation page for pensar to see the verb in every tense.

Say it yourself

Reading is not enough — say the verb aloud before you move on. Use the forms from the tables on this page and answer these three prompts as full sentences. First, say a sentence about yourself in the present tense: “Yo pienso…”. Second, say a sentence about yesterday in the preterite: “Ayer yo pensé…”. Third, say a sentence about tomorrow in the future: “Mañana yo pensaré…”. If you can answer all three without looking at the tables, the forms are starting to stick. If you hesitate, go back to the examples above, read them aloud twice, and try again. Speaking the forms is what turns a table you have seen into a verb you can use.

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