Which one should you use?
The choice of form depends on the subject and the specific nature of the thought. Use pensé que for "I thought that", pensaste que for "you thought that" (informal), pensó que for "he/she thought that" and pensaron que for "they thought that". There is also a distinction based on the aspect of the thought: use the preterite form pensó que when the thought is viewed as a completed event or a specific moment of realization, whereas the imperfect form pensaba que is often used to describe an ongoing state of belief or a background thought in the past.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb changes based on the person and the tense. For the first-person singular, use pensé que. For the second-person singular informal, use pensaste que. For the third-person singular, use pensó que. For the third-person plural, use pensaron que. While pensó que represents a completed thought, the imperfect pensaba que is used for ongoing background thoughts.
Did you know?
- If you use pensé que instead of pensaba que, you are implicitly signaling to a listener that your previous belief was actually wrong.
- In many Spanish-speaking-cultures, the verb pensar can mean both 'to think' and 'to intend', which can create ambiguity in certain past-tense sentences.
- The word que in pensó que is a distant cousin of the English word 'who'. Both descended from the same Proto-Indo-European root used for asking questions.
Examples in context
- Pensó que era doctor.She thought that I was a doctor.This sentence is useful for showing how to use pensó que to describe a belief about someone's profession.Tatoeba #5027169 by don_ramon, translation #492633 by CK
- Tom pensó que Mary estaba loca.Tom thought that Mary was crazy.This sentence is useful for using pensó que to describe a belief about someone's mental state.Tatoeba #7983005 by pchamorro, translation #7175220 by CK
- Él pensó que yo estaba exhausto.He thought that I was very tired.This sentence is useful for using pensó que to describe a belief about someone's level of exhaustion.Tatoeba #1115734 by marcelostockle, translation #439156 by mamat
- Pensé que llegarías más temprano a la reunión.I thought you would arrive earlier to the meeting.
- Pensé que iba a llover, pero el sol brilló todo el día.I thought it was going to rain, but the sun shone all day.
- Creí que tendría más tiempo para terminar el informe.I thought I would have more time to finish the report.
- Creí que vivías en Madrid, pero ahora me entero de que resides en Barcelona.I thought you lived in Madrid, but now I find out that you reside in Barcelona.
- Pensaba que eras más alto.I thought you were taller.
- Pensaba que habías decidido no venir a la fiesta.I thought you had decided not to come to the party.
- Me imaginé que te gustaría esta película.I thought you would like this movie.
- Me imaginé que llegaríamos tarde debido al tráfico.I thought we would arrive late because of the traffic.
- Realmente pensé que habías ganado.I really thought you had won.
- Verdaderamente creí que habías entendido la lección.I truly thought you had understood the lesson.
- 40 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are discussing a misunderstanding about a party.
- SofíaJavier pensó que la fiesta era mañana.Javier thought that the party was tomorrow.
- JavierSí, cometí un error con la fecha.Yes, I made a mistake with the date.
- Sofía¿Por qué pensó que sería entonces?Why did he think that it would be then?
- JavierLeí mal el mensaje del grupo.I misread the group message.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries que, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
