Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between having something in your mind and expressing an opinion. Use pensar en to mean "to think of" or "to think about" something or someone. In contrast, use pensar de when you are expressing an opinion, such as asking "What do you think of me?" (¿Qué piensas de mí?).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase pensé en is constructed using the verb pensar followed by the preposition en. The word pensé is the first-person singular preterite form of the verb, which indicates the past tense "I thought".
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying pensé de to mean "thought of". English speakers often make this error by translating the word "of" literally, but you must use the preposition en to correctly express having something in mind.
Did you know?
- If you are 'thinking of' a person in a romantic or longing way, Spanish often uses the verb acordarse de instead of pensar en to emphasize the act of remembering them.
- The verb pensar can be used without en to mean 'to intend', such as pienso viajar, which means 'I plan to travel' rather than 'I am thinking about traveling'.
- The word pensar shares a root with the English word 'pensive', which describes a state of being deep in thought.
Examples in context
- Pensé en algo como eso.I thought of something like that.This example shows how to use pensé en to describe thinking of an idea.Tatoeba #13953354 by ecorralest101, translation #13953350 by maaster
- Me puse depresivo y pensé en rendirme.I got gloomy and thought of giving up.This example uses pensé en to express the thought of an action.Tatoeba #6032174 by albrusgher, translation #262172 by al_ex_an_der
- Pensé en ti cuando lo vi, así que te lo compré.I thought of you when I saw it, so I bought it for you.This example demonstrates using pensé en to show someone was in your thoughts.Tatoeba #11864245 by Seael, translation #9806318 by CK
- Hemos pensado en todas las medidas de seguridad.We have thought of all the security measures.
- ¡Se me ocurrió una idea genial para el proyecto!I came up with a brilliant idea for the project!
- Me di cuenta de que no habíamos considerado esa opción.I realized we hadn't thought of that option.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are talking about their vacation plans over coffee.
- AlejandroPensé en ir a la playa este verano.I thought of going to the beach this summer.
- LucíaEs una idea excelente, Alejandro.That is an excellent idea, Alejandro.
- Alejandro¿Tú pensaste en algún hotel específico?Did you think of a specific hotel?
- LucíaNo, todavía no he pensado en nada.No, I haven't thought of anything yet.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
