と思った
to omotta
In Japanese, "I thought" is expressed as と思った (to omotta).
The phrase と思った is used to express a belief, opinion or realization that occurred in the past. It often implies that the reality turned out differently or was confirmed.
Which one should you use?
The various forms differ based on whether the thought was a single point in time, an ongoing state or requires an explanatory tone. 思った is the simple past tense. To convey a sense of continuous or ongoing thought, you can use 思ってた in informal settings or 思っていました in formal settings. If you want to add an explanatory tone to your statement, you can use 思っていたんだ informally or 思っていたんです formally.
How do you pronounce it?
to omotta
Did you know?
- In Japanese, there is a distinction between 思う (to think/believe) and 考える (to think/ponder). 思った is used for intuitive feelings or opinions, while 考えた is used for logical processing or problem solving.
- While 思った means 'I thought', Japanese speakers often omit the subject entirely. Including the word for 'I' (私は) can actually make the sentence sound unnatural or overly insistent in casual conversation.
- The verb inside the phrase, 思う, is often used in Japanese to soften a statement to avoid appearing too assertive, whereas in English, 'I thought' can sometimes sound indecisive or weak.
Examples in context
- だと思った。That's what I thought.This sentence is useful for confirming a previous thought using と思った.Tatoeba #203449 by bunbuku, translation #271588 by CK
- 怒ると思った。I thought you'd be angry.This sentence is useful for expressing a thought about someone's potential reaction using と思った.Tatoeba #11958076 by small_snow, translation #3737511 by CK
- 地震かと思った。I thought it was an earthquake.This sentence is useful for expressing a mistaken belief about an event using と思った.Tatoeba #8802864 by small_snow, translation #5651698 by CK
- 彼は来ないと思った。I thought he wouldn't come.
- 明日は忙しいと思ってた。I thought I would be busy tomorrow.
- 急に雨が降り出すと思いもしなかった。I never thought it would suddenly start raining.
- 151 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a movie they just watched.
- 大翔 Hirotoいい映画だったね。Ii eiga datta ne.It was a great movie, wasn't it?
- 結衣 Yuiうん。最後は悲しい結末になると思った。Un. Saigo wa kanashii ketsumatsu ni naru to omotta.Yeah. I thought it would have a sad ending.
- 大翔 Hirotoでも、最後はハッピーエンドだったよ。Demo, saigo wa happii endo datta yo.But it was a happy ending in the end.
- 結衣 Yui本当だね。びっくりしたよ。Hontō da ne. Bikkuri shita yo.You're right. I was surprised.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
