A colorful illustration showing two simple storybook characters sitting side-by-side, both looking contemplative. A single large thought bubble connects them, symbolizing shared or collective thinking. Inside the bubble is a simple, glowing lightbulb.

pensábamos

pen-SAH-bah-mos

verbA2regular (in this tense) ar

we were thinking?an ongoing thought or mental process in the past

Also:we used to think?a habitual past belief or opinion,we thought?describing a past state of mind or plan

Quick Reference

infinitivepensar

past Participlepensado

gerundpensando

📝 In Action

Cuando éramos niños, pensábamos que volar era imposible.

When we were children, we used to think that flying was impossible.

Pensábamos en el problema mientras caminábamos por el parque.

We were thinking about the problem while we walked through the park.

No sabíamos dónde estaba, pero pensábamos que estaría cerca.

We didn't know where it was, but we thought it would be close.

Word Connections

Synonyms

creíamos (we believed)
meditábamos (we meditated/reflected)

Common Collocations

pensábamos que sí – we thought so
pensábamos hacer algo – we were planning to do something

💡 Grammar Points

The 'We' Form

This word is always used when the subject of the action is 'we' (nosotros/nosotras). It shows that the group was doing the thinking.

Imperfect Tense Function

The imperfect tense (ending in -aba/-ía) is used to describe actions that were ongoing, habitual, or served as background information in the past. It describes how things were.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Imperfect vs. Preterite

Mistake: "Using 'pensamos' (we thought/we decided at one point) when you mean 'pensábamos' (we were thinking/we used to think)."

Correction: 'Pensábamos' describes the state of thinking; 'pensamos' describes a single, completed moment of thought or decision.

⭐ Usage Tips

Use for Background

Use 'pensábamos' to set the scene or describe a state of mind that was happening when something else (usually preterite) interrupted it: 'Pensábamos [background] cuando ella gritó [interruption].'

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

yopensara/pensase

él/ella/ustedpensara/pensase

nosotrospensáramos/pensásemos

vosotrospensarais/pensaseis

ellos/ellas/ustedespensaran/pensasen

túpensaras/pensases

present

yopiense

él/ella/ustedpiense

nosotrospensemos

vosotrospenséis

ellos/ellas/ustedespiensen

túpienses

indicative

preterite

yopensé

él/ella/ustedpensó

nosotrospensamos

vosotrospensasteis

ellos/ellas/ustedespensaron

túpensaste

imperfect

yopensaba

él/ella/ustedpensaba

nosotrospensábamos

vosotrospensabais

ellos/ellas/ustedespensaban

túpensabas

present

yopienso

él/ella/ustedpiensa

nosotrospensamos

vosotrospensáis

ellos/ellas/ustedespiensan

túpiensas

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: pensábamos

Question 1 of 2

Which English phrase best captures the meaning of 'Pensábamos que el concierto ya había terminado'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

pensar(to think) - verb

pensamiento(thought (noun)) - noun

pensativo(thoughtful) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'pensar' change its stem in the present tense (pienso) but not in 'pensábamos'?

'Pensar' is a stem-changing verb (e→ie) only in the present tenses (present indicative and subjunctive). The imperfect tense, which creates 'pensábamos,' is always regular for all -ar verbs, meaning the stem 'pens-' never changes.

Is 'pensábamos' only used for mental thoughts?

While its primary meaning is mental, 'pensábamos' is also frequently used to talk about plans or intentions we had in the past: 'Pensábamos ir a la playa' means 'We were planning/intending to go to the beach.'