pense
“pense” means “I thought” in Spanish (Past reflection or opinion (Correct form is pensé)).
I thought, I plannedAlso: I may think
📝 In Action
Pense que la película era más corta. (Common spelling mistake for Pensé)
A1I thought the movie was shorter.
No pense en las consecuencias de mis acciones. (Common spelling mistake for Pensé)
A2I 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')
B1I doubt that I think the same thing as you.
Word Connections
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: pense
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses the past tense 'I thought'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family
📚 Etymology
Comes directly from the Latin verb *pensare*, meaning 'to weigh' or 'to consider carefully.' The sense of weighing things evolved into the modern meaning of mental consideration and thinking.
First recorded: Old Spanish (around 12th century)
Cognates (Related words)
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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'.