Introduction

Pensare means “to think”, and this page covers exactly one thing: pensare in the present tense. The present is the tense Italian speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for pensare, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the passato prossimo, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about pensare in the present. It is the verb of thinking and of having an opinion, used with the preposition a for thinking about someone or something, and with di for thinking of doing something. It is completely regular. For example: “Lui pensa a Maria ogni giorno.” — “He thinks about Maria.” Everything on this page uses the forms of pensare exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Pensare in the Present — full table

Person Form
io penso
tu pensi
lui/lei pensa
noi pensiamo
voi pensate
loro pensano
Gerund: pensando · Past participle: pensato
The gerund is pensando, which you use with stare to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “Pensando a Maria, imparo molto.” — “While thinking about Maria, I learn a lot.” The past participle is pensato, which you use with avere in the perfect tenses: ho pensato is the passato prossimo, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how pensare is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for pensare, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present of pensare is formed

The present tense of pensare has six forms: io penso, tu pensi, lui pensa, noi pensiamo, voi pensate, loro pensano. Say them in order — io, tu, lui, noi, voi, loro — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. pensare is regular: every form follows the standard -are endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem. There are no surprises in any tense — the tables below are exactly what the endings predict. The present is the tense you will use most, so learn these six forms before you learn any other tense of this verb.

Two things about the present of pensare are worth noticing. First, the noi and voi forms are the anchor of the verb: the imperfect is built from the same stem, and the present subjunctive takes its noi and voi forms from the same stem, so learning pensiamo and pensate pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense Italian uses where English would often use the continuous form, so penso can mean both “I think” and “I am thinking” — context tells the listener which one you mean.

Because pensare is regular in the present, the six forms follow the standard -are endings exactly. Once you know the pattern for one regular -are verb, you know it for all of them — only the stem changes. That is why the present of a regular verb is the cheapest tense to learn in the whole language.

When to use the present of pensare

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use pensare in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Habits and routines

The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and pensare is no exception. Use time expressions such as ogni giorno, sempre or ogni settimana to make the routine explicit. Example: “Io penso a Maria ogni giorno.” — “I think about Maria.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about pensare does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Lui pensa a Maria ogni giorno.” — “He thinks about Maria.”

3. What is happening right now

The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Italian often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with pensare in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Noi pensiamo a Maria ogni giorno.” — “We think about Maria.”

4. Scheduled future events

Italian uses the present for something already fixed in the near future, especially with a time expression. It sounds more certain than the future tense, because the plan is already made. Example: “Tu pensi a Maria ogni giorno.” — “You think about Maria.”

5. Narration and commentary

In stories, instructions and live commentary, the present brings the action into the room. A recipe, a game or a story told in the present feels immediate, and pensare in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Loro pensano a Maria ogni giorno.” — “They think about Maria.”

Present Tense vs Passato Prossimo: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the passato prossimo, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the passato prossimo describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as ogni giorno or sempre, while the passato prossimo sentences use ieri or la settimana scorsa. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.

  • Present Tense: “Lui pensa a Maria ogni giorno.” — “He thinks about Maria”
  • Passato Prossimo: “Lui ha pensato a Maria questa settimana.” — “He has thought about Maria”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passato prossimo sentence is one finished event. Ogni giorno points to the present, ieri points to the passato prossimo.
  • Present Tense: “Io penso a Maria ogni giorno.” — “I think about Maria”
  • Passato Prossimo: “Io ho pensato a Maria questa settimana.” — “I have thought about Maria”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passato prossimo sentence is one finished event. Ogni giorno points to the present, ieri points to the passato prossimo.
  • Present Tense: “Tu pensi a Maria ogni giorno.” — “You think about Maria”
  • Passato Prossimo: “Tu hai pensato a Maria questa settimana.” — “You have thought about Maria”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passato prossimo sentence is one finished event. Ogni giorno points to the present, ieri points to the passato prossimo.

Example sentences: pensare in the present

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions and the objects — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Io penso a Maria ogni giorno.” — “I think about Maria”
  2. “Tu pensi a Maria ogni giorno.” — “You think about Maria”
  3. “Lui pensa a Maria ogni giorno.” — “He thinks about Maria”
  4. “Noi pensiamo a Maria ogni giorno.” — “We think about Maria”
  5. “Voi pensate a Maria ogni giorno.” — “You think about Maria”
  6. “Loro pensano a Maria ogni giorno.” — “They think about Maria”
  7. “Io penso a Maria ogni giorno.” — “I think about Maria”
  8. “Lui pensa a Maria ogni giorno.” — “He thinks about Maria”

Common mistakes

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Io pensi a Maria.” Right: “Io penso a Maria ogni giorno.” Why: The io form is penso, not pensi. pensi is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
  • Wrong: “Noi penso a Maria.” Right: “Noi pensiamo a Maria ogni giorno.” Why: Noi needs the noi form pensiamo. penso belongs with io only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
  • Wrong: “Io penso a Maria ogni giorno ieri.” Right: “Io ho pensato a Maria questa settimana.” Why: Ieri points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passato prossimo ho pensato for a finished action yesterday.
  • Wrong: “Io pensare a Maria.” Right: “Io penso a Maria ogni giorno.” Why: The infinitive pensare never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated form penso.

Quiz: test yourself

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

  1. What is the io form of pensare in the Present indicative?

    • A) pensi
    • B) penso
    • C) pensa
    • D) pensiamo

  2. What is the tu form of pensare in the Present indicative?

    • A) penso
    • B) pensa
    • C) pensi
    • D) pensiamo

  3. What is the lui/lei form of pensare in the Present indicative?

    • A) penso
    • B) pensi
    • C) pensiamo
    • D) pensa

  4. What is the noi form of pensare in the Present indicative?

    • A) pensiamo
    • B) penso
    • C) pensi
    • D) pensa

  5. What is the voi form of pensare in the Present indicative?

    • A) penso
    • B) pensate
    • C) pensi
    • D) pensa

  6. What is the loro form of pensare in the Present indicative?

    • A) penso
    • B) pensi
    • C) pensano
    • D) pensa

  7. What is the io form of pensare in the Present indicative?

    • A) pensi
    • B) pensa
    • C) pensiamo
    • D) penso

  8. What is the tu form of pensare in the Present indicative?

    • A) pensi
    • B) penso
    • C) pensa
    • D) pensiamo

Answer key

  1. B) penso — the correct form is penso. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) pensi — the correct form is pensi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) pensa — the correct form is pensa. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) pensiamo — the correct form is pensiamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) pensate — the correct form is pensate. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) pensano — the correct form is pensano. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) penso — the correct form is penso. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) pensi — the correct form is pensi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does pensare mean in English?

pensare means “to think”. It is a non-reflexive, regular -are verb.

How is the present tense of pensare formed?

The six present forms are: io penso, tu pensi, lui pensa, noi pensiamo, voi pensate, loro pensano. pensare is regular: every form follows the standard -are endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem.

When do I use the present instead of the passato prossimo?

Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now. Use the passato prossimo for one finished action in the past. The time words are your best clue: ogni giorno points to the present, ieri points to the passato prossimo.

What are the gerund and past participle of pensare?

The gerund is pensando and the past participle is pensato.

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