Pensar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish

The present tense of pensar — to think — is the form you need for habits, facts and what is happening now. 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. This page gives you the complete present tense table for pensar, how it is formed, when to use it, the mistakes learners make with it, and a quiz to check yourself. The first example shows it in action: “Yo pienso que tienes razón.” — “I think you are right”.

Present tense conjugation of pensar

Every form in the table below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for pensar. Pensar is an e → ie stem-changing irregular -ar verb (irregular in present, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative), so watch out for the forms that break the pattern — they are the ones learners need to memorise.

Present tense indicative — pensar

Person Form
yo pienso
tú piensas
él/ella/Ud. piensa
nosotros/as pensamos
vosotros/as pensáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. piensan

The gerund of pensar is pensando and the past participle is pensado. You need the participle for the perfect tenses and the gerund for the progressive with estar.

How the present tense of pensar is formed

The present tense of pensar does not follow the regular pattern. It has a e → ie stem change, so the stem vowel changes in the stressed forms. If pensar were regular, the present tense forms would be yo → penso, tú → pensas, él/ella/Ud. → pensa, nosotros/as → pensamos, vosotros/as → pensáis, ellos/ellas/Uds. → pensan — but pensar breaks the pattern in this tense: the forms are pienso, piensas, piensa, pensamos, pensáis and piensan.

The stem change affects the stressed forms only: pienso, piensas, piensa and piensan change, while pensamos and pensáis keep the plain stem. That is the rule for every e → ie stem-changing verb, and it is why the nosotros and vosotros forms are the safe ones to fall back on when you are unsure.

A note on spelling: the written accents in this tense are part of the form, not decoration. In the present tense, pensáis carries an accent, and leaving it out changes the pronunciation and, in writing, marks the form as wrong. Copy the forms from the table above exactly, accents included.

When to use the present tense of pensar

1. Habits and routines

Use the present for things you do regularly. For example, with pensar: “Yo pienso que tienes razón.” — “I think you are right”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

2. General truths and facts

Use the present for things that are always true. For example, with pensar: “Ella piensa en su familia.” — “She thinks about her family”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

3. What is happening right now

Use the present for actions in progress at this moment. For example, with pensar: “Nosotros pensamos viajar en verano.” — “We are planning to travel in summer”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

4. Scheduled plans and the near future

Use the present for fixed plans, especially with a time expression. For example, with pensar: “Ellos piensan en cambiar de trabajo.” — “They are thinking about changing jobs”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

Present vs future: pensar now, pensar later

The present and the future both talk about things that have not happened yet in one sense, but they are not interchangeable. The present is for what is true now or already fixed; the future is for what will happen and is not yet certain. Compare the pairs below — the present form comes from this page, the future form from the full conjugation table.

  • Present tense tense: “Yo pienso que tienes razón todos los días.” — “I think that you are right every day.”

  • Future: “Yo pensaré que tienes razón mañana.” — “Tomorrow I will think that you are right.”

  • Present tense tense: “Ella piensa que tienes razón ahora.” — “She thinks that you are right now.”

  • Future: “Ella pensará que tienes razón la semana que viene.” — “Next week she will think that you are right.”

  • Present tense tense: “Nosotros pensamos que tienes razón en clase.” — “We think that you are right in class.”

  • Future: “Nosotros pensaremos que tienes razón el lunes.” — “On Monday we will think that you are right.”

Example sentences: pensar in the present tense

Six sentences using only the present tense of pensar, with English translations. Read them aloud — saying the forms is the fastest way to fix them in memory.

  • “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.”

Common mistakes with pensar in the present tense

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 in a stressed form.

Right: Use the changed stem: pienso.

The e → ie stem change applies to the stressed forms of pensar — the yo form is pienso, not the plain stem.

Quiz: pensar in the present tense

Eight questions on the present tense of pensar. 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 tú form of pensar in the present tense?

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

Answer: D — The tú form in the present tense is piensas.

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

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

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

4. What is the nosotros/as form of pensar in the present tense?

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

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the present tense is pensamos.

5. 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.

6. Fill in the blank: “Ella ___ en su familia.” (She thinks about her family.)

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

Answer: D — The sentence needs piensa.

7. Which sentence is correct?

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

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

8. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Yo pienso en ti.
  • B) Pienso de ti — wrong preposition.

Answer: A — To think about someone is pensar en; pensar de asks for an opinion.

Frequently asked questions

Is pensar regular in the present tense?

No. pensar is irregular in the present tense: the forms are pienso, piensas, piensa, pensamos, pensáis and piensan. There is no rule that produces them from the infinitive, so they have to be learnt as a set — the quiz above is a good place to start.

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

It is pienso. The yo form is the one learners use most and the one that most often breaks the pattern — for pensar it is the form to learn first, before the rest of the table.

When do I use the present tense of pensar instead of the preterite?

Use the present when the action is a habit, a fact, or happening now, and the preterite when it is a finished action in the past. If you can add “yesterday” to the sentence and it still makes sense, you almost certainly need the preterite, not the present.

How can I remember the present tense forms of pensar?

Say the six forms aloud in order — pienso, piensas, piensa, pensamos, pensáis, piensan — three times a day for a week, always in a sentence, never as a bare list. Then use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself, and 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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