A storybook illustration of a young person sitting quietly on the floor, resting their chin on their hand in a pose of deep contemplation. A brightly glowing lightbulb floats above their head, symbolizing a completed thought.

pensaste

pen-SAH-steh

Verb (Conjugated Form)A2regular (in this tense) ar

you thought?past completed action (informal singular)

Also:did you think?used in questions,you planned?past intention

Quick Reference

infinitivepensar (to think)

gerundpensando (thinking)

past Participlepensado (thought)

📝 In Action

¿Qué pensaste cuando viste el regalo?

What did you think when you saw the gift?

Pensaste que la película era mejor, ¿verdad?

You thought the movie was better, right?

Nunca pensaste en renunciar, ¿cierto?

You never thought about quitting, did you?

Word Connections

Synonyms

creíste (you believed)
reflexionaste (you reflected)

Common Collocations

pensaste bien – you thought carefully
pensaste mal – you thought wrong

💡 Grammar Points

Preterite Tense

This form ('pensaste') tells us that the action of thinking was completed at a specific moment in the past. It's used for single, finished events.

-AR Verb Pattern

For regular -AR verbs in the past tense (preterite), the 'tú' form always ends in '-aste'. This is a very reliable pattern: 'hablaste', 'compraste', 'estudiaste'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing Past Tenses

Mistake: "Using 'pensabas' instead of 'pensaste' when talking about a single event."

Correction: 'Pensabas' (imperfect) means 'you used to think' or 'you were thinking' over a period of time. 'Pensaste' (preterite) means 'you thought' one time.

⭐ Usage Tips

The Silent 'Tú'

Since the verb ending '-aste' only goes with 'tú' (you), you usually don't need to say the word 'tú'. Just saying '¿Qué pensaste?' is perfectly natural.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: pensaste

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'pensaste'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

pensar(to think) - verb

pensamiento(thought (noun)) - noun

pensador(thinker) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'pensaste' a stem-changing verb?

The base verb 'pensar' *is* stem-changing (e changes to ie) in the present tense (e.g., 'pienso'). However, in the past tense form 'pensaste' and the rest of the preterite tense, the verb acts completely regularly, which makes it easy to conjugate!

When should I use 'pensaste' versus 'pensabas'?

'Pensaste' is for a single, specific event that finished: 'You thought X at 3 PM.' 'Pensabas' is for ongoing, repeated, or habitual thoughts in the past: 'You used to think X,' or 'You were thinking X when I arrived.'