A young child sitting alone on a simple wooden stool, resting their chin on their hand, looking upward in deep contemplation. A simple, empty cloud shape hovers slightly above their head, symbolizing a thought process.

pense

pen-SEH

VerbA1irregular (stem-changing e>ie in present tenses) ar

I thought?Past reflection or opinion (Correct form is pensé),I planned?Past intention (Correct form is pensé)

Also:I may think?Present Subjunctive use (Correct form is piense)

Quick Reference

infinitivepensar (to think)

gerundpensando (thinking)

past Participlepensado (thought)

📝 In Action

Pense que la película era más corta. (Common spelling mistake for Pensé)

I thought the movie was shorter.

No pense en las consecuencias de mis acciones. (Common spelling mistake for Pensé)

I didn't think about the consequences of my actions.

Dudo que yo piense lo mismo que tú. (Note: The correct subjunctive form is 'piense', not 'pense')

I doubt that I think the same thing as you.

Word Connections

Synonyms

creer (to believe)
reflexionar (to reflect)

Common Collocations

pensar en – to think about (Preterite: pensé en)
pensar que – to think that (Preterite: pensé que)

Idioms & Expressions

Pensar dos veces – To think carefully before acting

💡 Grammar Points

Stem Change Reminder

The base verb 'pensar' changes its vowel from 'e' to 'ie' in most of the present tense forms (like 'pienso'), but it returns to 'e' in the past tenses (like 'pensé').

Thinking About Things

When you mean 'to think about' a topic or person, you must use the preposition 'en': 'Pensé en mi familia' (I thought about my family).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Missing Accent Mark

Mistake: "Using 'pense' when you mean 'I thought'."

Correction: The correct past tense form is 'pensé' (with an accent over the 'e'). Without the accent, 'pense' is either a typo or refers to an obsolete form. The accent tells you the stress is on the last syllable, which is necessary for past tense.

Confusing Past and Subjunctive

Mistake: "Using 'pense' when you need the present subjunctive 'piense'."

Correction: When expressing doubt or emotion ('Dudo que yo...'), the correct form is the stem-changed subjunctive 'piense'. The form 'pense' is actually the 'we' form of the subjunctive ('pensemos') without the 'mos'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Preterite vs. Imperfect

Use 'pensé' (Preterite) when you finished a specific thought ('I thought that yesterday'). Use 'pensaba' (Imperfect) when describing what you used to think or what you were thinking when something else happened.

🔄 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/pensase

yopensara/pensase

túpensaras/pensases

ellos/ellas/ustedespensaran/pensasen

nosotrospensáramos/pensásemos

vosotrospensarais/pensaseis

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: pense

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses the past tense 'I thought'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

pensar(to think) - verb

el pensamiento(thought/idea) - noun

pensativo(thoughtful) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is 'pense' considered incorrect?

While 'pense' might look like a simple past tense, it is missing the mandatory written accent mark. The correct form is 'pensé' (I thought). In Spanish, an accent is needed to show that the stress falls on the last syllable in the preterite tense.

How is 'pensé' different from 'pienso'?

'Pensé' means 'I thought' (a finished action in the past). 'Pienso' means 'I think' (a current action or opinion). They come from the same verb, 'pensar'.