The Spanish verb "pensar" means "to think" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "pensar" across all 5 tenses. New to Spanish verbs? Start with the Spanish verb guide.
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Lexi's Memory Hack
PENSAR is a boot verb: E → IE. "PIENso, PIENsas, PIENsa… pensamos, pensáis, PIENsan." Picture the boot shape — the stress lands inside the boot and triggers the change.
Pensar en = to think about. Pensar + infinitive = to plan to do something.
How to Conjugate "pensar" in the Present Tense
Presente de indicativo Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | pienso |
| tú | you (informal) | piensas |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | piensa |
| nosotros | we | pensamos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | pensáis |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | piensan |
Ella piensa que es muy tarde.
say it EH-yah PYEN-sah
She thinks it is very late.
In other languages
- French Elle pense qu'il est très tard.
- German Sie denkt, dass es sehr spät ist.
- Dutch Zij denkt dat het erg laat is.
Yo pienso en mis vacaciones ideales.
say it YOH PYEN-soh
I think about my ideal vacation.
In other languages
- French Je pense à mes vacances idéales.
- German Ich denke an meinen idealen Urlaub.
- Dutch Ik denk aan mijn ideale vakantie.
How to Conjugate "pensar" in the Past (completed) Tense
Pretérito perfecto simple Actions that finished in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | pensé |
| tú | you (informal) | pensaste |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | pensó |
| nosotros | we | pensamos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | pensasteis |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | pensaron |
Ella pensó en cambiar de trabajo.
say it pen-SOH
She thought about changing jobs.
In other languages
- French Elle a pensé à changer de travail.
- German Sie dachte darüber nach, den Job zu wechseln.
- Dutch Zij dacht eraan om van baan te veranderen.
Yo pensé en viajar este verano.
say it pen-SEH
I thought about traveling this summer.
In other languages
- French J'ai pensé à voyager cet été.
- German Ich dachte darüber nach, diesen Sommer zu verreisen.
- Dutch Ik dacht eraan om deze zomer te reizen.
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Try VerbPal FreeHow to Conjugate "pensar" in the Past (ongoing) Tense
Pretérito imperfecto Actions that were ongoing in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | pensaba |
| tú | you (informal) | pensabas |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | pensaba |
| nosotros | we | pensábamos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | pensabais |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | pensaban |
Él pensaba mucho en su futuro.
say it EHL pen-SAH-bah
He used to think a lot about his future.
In other languages
- French Il pensait beaucoup à son avenir.
- German Er dachte früher viel über seine Zukunft nach.
- Dutch Hij dacht vroeger veel aan zijn toekomst.
Yo pensaba en mis vacaciones ideales.
say it YOH pen-SAH-bah
I used to think about my ideal vacations.
In other languages
- French Je pensais autrefois à mes vacances idéales.
- German Ich dachte früher an meine idealen Urlaube.
- Dutch Ik dacht vroeger aan mijn ideale vakanties.
How to Conjugate "pensar" in the Future Tense
Futuro simple Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | pensaré |
| tú | you (informal) | pensarás |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | pensará |
| nosotros | we | pensaremos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | pensaréis |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | pensarán |
Él pensará en la solución.
say it ehl pehn-sah-RAH
He will think about the solution.
In other languages
- French Il réfléchira à la solution.
- German Er wird über die Lösung nachdenken.
- Dutch Hij zal over de oplossing nadenken.
Yo pensaré en tu oferta.
say it yo pehn-sah-REH
I will think about your offer.
In other languages
- French Je réfléchirai à votre offre.
- German Ich werde über Ihr Angebot nachdenken.
- Dutch Ik zal over je aanbod nadenken.
How to Conjugate "pensar" in the Would (conditional) Tense
Condicional simple Hypothetical actions| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | pensaría |
| tú | you (informal) | pensarías |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | pensaría |
| nosotros | we | pensaríamos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | pensaríais |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | pensarían |
Él pensaría en comprar una casa.
say it ehl pehn-sah-REE-ah
He would think about buying a house.
In other languages
- French Il penserait à acheter une maison.
- German Er würde darüber nachdenken, ein Haus zu kaufen.
- Dutch Hij zou nadenken over het kopen van een huis.
Yo pensaría en una solución mejor.
say it yo pehn-sah-REE-ah
I would think of a better solution.
In other languages
- French Je penserais à une meilleure solution.
- German Ich würde an eine bessere Lösung denken.
- Dutch Ik zou aan een betere oplossing denken.
Frequently Asked Questions About "pensar"
Is "pensar" regular or irregular in Spanish?
"Pensar" is an irregular Spanish verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "pensar" mean in English?
The Spanish verb "pensar" means "to think" in English.
How do you conjugate "pensar" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Presente de indicativo): yo → pienso, tú → piensas, él/ella/usted → piensa, nosotros → pensamos, vosotros → pensáis, ellos/ustedes → piensan.
How many tenses does "pensar" have in Spanish?
"Pensar" is conjugated across 5 tenses in Spanish: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).
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