A person sitting quietly under a tree, deep in thought, with a large, transparent thought bubble floating above their head, symbolizing an ongoing past mental process.

pensaba

pen-SAH-bah

VerbA2regular ar

I was thinking?An ongoing thought process in the past. (For 'yo'),he/she/you were thinking?An ongoing thought process in the past. (For 'él', 'ella', 'usted')

Also:I used to think?A belief or opinion held in the past. (For 'yo'),he/she/you used to think?A belief or opinion held in the past. (For 'él', 'ella', 'usted'),I was planning to?An intention or plan in the past, often one that didn't happen. (For 'yo')

Quick Reference

infinitivepensar

gerundpensando

past Participlepensado

📝 In Action

Mientras caminaba, pensaba en mis vacaciones.

While I was walking, I was thinking about my vacation.

Ella pensaba que la película empezaba a las ocho.

She thought the movie started at eight.

De niño, yo pensaba que podía hablar con los animales.

As a child, I used to think I could talk to animals.

Pensaba llamarte más tarde, pero se me hizo muy tarde.

I was planning to call you later, but it got too late for me.

Word Connections

Synonyms

creía (I believed / I thought)
opinaba (I was of the opinion)
imaginaba (I imagined)

Common Collocations

pensaba que... – I thought that...
pensaba en... – I was thinking about...
ya lo pensaba yo – I thought so / I had a feeling

💡 Grammar Points

Painting a Picture of the Past

The '-aba' ending on this verb is a clue you're in the 'imperfect' past tense. Use it to describe what was happening, what someone used to do, or to set the scene for a story. It's for background details, not for single, completed actions.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Ongoing Thought vs. Sudden Idea: 'pensaba' vs. 'pensé'

Mistake: "Cuando sonó el teléfono, pensé en mi mamá."

Correction: This is actually correct if the thought was a single, quick event! But if you want to say you were already in the middle of thinking about her, you'd say: 'Cuando sonó el teléfono, pensaba en mi mamá.' Use 'pensaba' for an ongoing process, and 'pensé' for a sudden, completed thought.

⭐ Usage Tips

Expressing Past Intentions

'Pensaba' is perfect for talking about something you were planning to do, especially if you didn't end up doing it. For example, 'Pensaba ir a la playa, pero llovió' (I was planning to go to the beach, but it rained).

Softening an Opinion

You can use 'Yo pensaba que...' to politely introduce a different opinion or make a suggestion. It sounds a bit softer than saying 'I think'. For example: 'Yo pensaba que quizás podríamos salir un poco más temprano.' (I was thinking that maybe we could leave a little earlier.)

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedpiensa

yopienso

túpiensas

ellos/ellas/ustedespiensan

nosotrospensamos

vosotrospensáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedpensaba

yopensaba

túpensabas

ellos/ellas/ustedespensaban

nosotrospensábamos

vosotrospensabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedpensó

yopensé

túpensaste

ellos/ellas/ustedespensaron

nosotrospensamos

vosotrospensasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedpiense

yopiense

túpienses

ellos/ellas/ustedespiensen

nosotrospensemos

vosotrospenséis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedpensara

yopensara

túpensaras

ellos/ellas/ustedespensaran

nosotrospensáramos

vosotrospensarais

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: pensaba

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence best describes a plan you had yesterday that you didn't do?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

pensar(to think) - verb

pensamiento(thought) - noun

pensador(a)(thinker) - noun

pensativo(pensive, thoughtful) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Can 'pensaba' mean both 'I was thinking' and 'he was thinking'?

Yes, absolutely! In Spanish, the words for people (like 'yo', 'él', 'ella') are often left out because the verb ending tells you who is doing the action. So, 'pensaba' can mean 'I was thinking,' 'he was thinking,' 'she was thinking,' or even 'you (formal) were thinking.' You'll know who it is from the context of the conversation.

What's the difference between 'pensaba que...' and 'creía que...'?

They are very similar and often you can use either one to say 'I thought that...'. 'Pensaba' is more about the mental process of thinking it through, while 'creía' is more about holding a belief. But in everyday chat, don't worry too much—they're practically interchangeable.