pensabas
“pensabas” means “you were thinking” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
you were thinking, you used to think
Also: did you think
📝 In Action
¿Qué pensabas cuando te vi ayer?
A2What were you thinking when I saw you yesterday?
De niño, pensabas que los perros podían volar.
B1As a child, you used to think that dogs could fly.
Yo pensaba que tú pensabas lo mismo.
B1I thought that you were thinking the same thing.
you believed, you were of the opinion
Also: you considered
📝 In Action
Pensabas que el proyecto era imposible, ¿verdad?
B1You believed the project was impossible, right?
Antes de la reunión, ¿qué pensabas de su propuesta?
B2Before the meeting, what did you think (what was your opinion) of their proposal?
you were planning, you intended
📝 In Action
Pensabas viajar a México este verano.
B1You were planning to travel to Mexico this summer.
¿Pensabas en mí cuando me llamaste?
B2Were you thinking/planning on me when you called me? (Used with 'en')
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: pensabas
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'pensabas' to describe a repeated action in the past?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The Spanish verb 'pensar' comes from the Latin verb 'pensāre,' which originally meant 'to weigh' or 'to estimate.' Over time, the meaning shifted from physically weighing something to mentally 'weighing' an idea or consideration.
First recorded: 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'pensabas' look so different from the present tense 'piensas'?
'Pensabas' is in the Imperfect tense, which is a very regular tense for -ar verbs and does not have the stem change (e->ie) that you see in the present tense ('piensas'). The Imperfect form is always 'pensaba, pensabas, pensaba,' etc.
When should I use 'pensabas en' versus just 'pensabas'?
Use 'pensabas en' (you were thinking *about*) when the thought is directed toward a specific person or topic: 'Pensabas en la tarea' (You were thinking about the homework). Use just 'pensabas' when describing the general state of your mind or belief: 'Pensabas que era tarde' (You believed it was late).