je pensais
The English phrase "I thought" is translated into French as je pensais.
je pensais is used to describe a belief or opinion that someone held in the past.
Which one should you use?
je pensais describes a continuous state of believing something, whereas j'ai pensé is used for a specific, momentary thought or a sudden realization.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you follow je pensais with a clause consisting of a subject and a verb, you must add the conjunction que to connect them.
Did you know?
- The word penser shares a root with the English word 'pensive', both deriving from the Latin word for 'weighing' an idea.
- While je pensais means 'i thought', adding the word croyais as in je croyais is often used instead when the speaker realized they were actually mistaken about a fact.
- If you use je pensais to express a belief that turned out to be false, it often carries a tone of mild regret or irony, much like saying 'I had thought'.
Examples in context
- Je pensais être seul.I thought I was alone.This sentence is useful for showing how to express the thought of being alone.Tatoeba #2071179 by sacredceltic, translation #1961288 by CK
- Je pensais être malin.I thought I was being smart.This sentence is useful for expressing the thought of being smart.Tatoeba #2159689 by sacredceltic, translation #1961290 by CK
- Je pensais tout avoir.I thought I had everything.This sentence is useful for describing the thought of having everything.Tatoeba #4381662 by sacredceltic, translation #4368281 by AlanF_US
- Je pensais que vous étiez d'accord avec cette proposition.I thought that you agreed with this proposal.
- J'avais l'impression que vous compreniez parfaitement la situation.I had the impression that you understood the situation perfectly.
- Je pensais que vous aviez déjà terminé le rapport.I thought that you had already finished the report.
- J'avais l'impression que vous étiez d'accord avec nos conditions.I had the impression that you agreed with our terms.
- Je croyais que tu viendrais me rendre visite cet après-midi.I thought that you would come to visit me this afternoon.
- Je croyais que tu étais en vacances cette semaine.I thought that you were on vacation this week.
- 1515 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are discussing a meeting time at a cafe.
- HugoJe pensais que le rendez-vous était à midi.I thought the meeting was at noon.
- ChloéNon, c'est à treize heures aujourd'hui.No, it is at one o'clock today.
- HugoAh, je me suis trompé alors.Ah, I was mistaken then.
- ChloéPas de problème, on a encore du temps.No problem, we still have time.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
