je pense
The English phrase "I think" is translated into French as je pense.
je pense is used to express a personal opinion or a logical deduction about something. If you wish to say "I think so" without repeating an entire clause, you should use Je le pense or, more commonly, Je pense que oui.
Which one should you use?
je pense is typically used for general thoughts or logical deductions. In contrast, je crois translates to "I believe" and is often used when expressing a belief or an opinion that is slightly less certain.
How does it change in a sentence?
penser is a regular -er verb. In the first person singular present tense, it ends in -e. When you use this phrase to express an opinion followed by a clause, you must include the conjunction que (that) before the subject of the following clause.
Did you know?
- The word pensée is both the noun for a 'thought' and the French name for the 'pansy' flower.
- In the famous philosophical phrase Je pense, donc je suis, the word pense is the core of the logical proof for existence, translating to 'I think, therefore I am'.
- In French, 'penser' can also mean 'to intend' or 'to plan' to do something, meaning 'je pense partir' can translate to 'I intend to leave'.
Examples in context
- Je pense que ça va.I think it's OK.This sentence shows how to use je pense to express a general state.Tatoeba #1408752 by sacredceltic, translation #433884 by CK
- Je pense être prêt.I think I'm ready.This sentence shows how to use je pense to express a state of readiness.Tatoeba #2196002 by sacredceltic, translation #2195379 by Hybrid
- Je pense qu'il ment.I think he's lying.This sentence shows how to use je pense to express an opinion about someone's actions.Tatoeba #1880150 by sacredceltic, translation #1879827 by Spamster
- Je pense que ce projet est très prometteurI think this project is very promising
- À mon avis, cette décision n'est pas la plus judicieuseIn my opinion, this decision isn't the wisest
- Il me semble que cette solution pourrait fonctionnerIt seems to me that this solution could work
- Je crois qu'il va bientôt arriverI think he's going to arrive soon
- Moi, je dirais que ce restaurant est excellentI would say this restaurant is excellent
- Franchement, je pense que ce film est génialFrankly, I think this movie is great
- Selon moi, ce livre est vraiment captivantIn my opinion, this book is truly captivating
- Clairement, je crois qu'il est temps de changer de stratégieClearly, I think it's time to change strategy
- 3233 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are discussing a movie they just saw.
- LéaJe pense qu'il est très bon.I think it is very good.
- HugoMoi, je pense qu'il est trop long.Me, I think it is too long.
- LéaTu es très difficile, Hugo !You are very difficult, Hugo!
- HugoC'est juste mon avis.It is just my opinion.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
