penso
In Italian, "I think" is expressed as penso.
penso is used to express an opinion or a belief about something.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using penso che to express an opinion or doubt, the verb that follows must be in the subjunctive mood. However, if the subject of the thinking is the same as the subject of the following action, you should use penso di followed by an infinitive instead of penso che.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the indicative mood after penso che instead of the required subjunctive mood.
Did you know?
- In Italian, saying ci penso io does not mean 'I am thinking about it', but rather 'I'll take care of it' or 'I've got this'.
- The verb pensare is a cognate of the English word 'pensive', describing a state of deep or dreamy thought.
- While 'I think' in English is often used to start a sentence, Italians might use secondo me ('according to me') to express the exact same opinional sentiment.
Examples in context
- È ciò che penso.That's what I think.This sentence shows how to use penso to state what one thinks.Tatoeba #5432782 by Guybrush88, translation #3593991 by CK
- Penso che mi odi.I think he hates me.This sentence illustrates using penso to express a belief about someone's feelings.Tatoeba #4817937 by Guybrush88, translation #2309172 by Hybrid
- Penso che sia tu.I think that it's you.This sentence demonstrates the use of penso to express a belief about identity.Tatoeba #4846941 by Guybrush88, translation #966522 by FeuDRenais2
- Penso che questa decisione sia la migliore.I think that this decision is the best.
- Ritengo che questa politica sia inefficace.I consider this policy ineffective.
- Credo che la pizza italiana sia la migliore del mondo.I believe that Italian pizza is the best in the world.
- Mi sembra che questa canzone sia molto orecchiabile.It seems to me that this song is very catchy.
- Penso che lui sia un bravo attore.I think he is a good actor.
- Credo che noi dovremmo fare una vacanza insieme.I believe that we should go on vacation together.
- Penso di essere pronto per l'esame.I think I am ready for the exam.
- 5549 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Martina are discussing a movie they just saw.
- FrancescoPenso che sia un film bellissimo.I think it is a beautiful movie.
- MartinaNon sono molto d'accordo con te.I don't really agree with you.
- FrancescoDavvero? Cosa ne pensi?Really? What do you think about it?
- MartinaPenso che sia un po' troppo lungo.I think it is a bit too long.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
