piensa
/pyen-sa/
he thinks / she thinks / it thinks
Piensa (He/She Thinks): The image depicts someone immersed in thought or forming an opinion.
piensa(Verb)
he thinks / she thinks / it thinks
?General act of thinking
,you think
?Formal 'you' (usted)
he/she plans
?Expressing an intention
,he/she believes
?Stating an opinion
📝 In Action
Mi abuela siempre piensa en positivo.
A1My grandmother always thinks positively.
Ella piensa que la idea es fantástica.
A2She thinks that the idea is fantastic.
Él piensa viajar a México el próximo verano.
B1He plans to travel to Mexico next summer.
¿Qué piensa usted sobre este asunto?
B1What do you (formal) think about this matter?
💡 Grammar Points
A 'Stem-Changing' Verb
The verb pensar changes its vowel in some forms. The 'e' in the stem becomes 'ie'. That's why it's piensa and not pensa. Notice this change doesn't happen for nosotros (we): pensamos.
`Pensar que` vs. `Pensar en`
Use piensa que to say what someone's opinion is ('She thinks that...'). Use piensa en to say what or who is on someone's mind ('He thinks about...').
❌ Common Pitfalls
Thinking 'about' something
Mistake: "Ella piensa sobre su futuro."
Correction: Ella piensa en su futuro. In Spanish, `pensar en` is the most natural way to say you're thinking 'about' a topic or person.
⭐ Usage Tips
Expressing Plans
When someone piensa followed by another action verb (like viajar, comprar, estudiar), it means they are planning or intending to do that action. It's a very common way to talk about future intentions.
¡Piensa! (Think! / Consider!): This is the informal command telling a friend to pause and reflect before acting.
piensa(Verb (Command))
think
?Informal command, telling one person ('tú') to think
consider
?Instruction to reflect
,think about it
?Encouragement to reflect
📝 In Action
Antes de responder, piensa un momento.
A2Before you answer, think for a moment.
¡Piensa en las consecuencias!
B1Think about the consequences!
Piensa bien lo que vas a decir.
B1Think carefully about what you are going to say.
💡 Grammar Points
Giving Informal Commands
Piensa is how you tell a friend or someone you call tú to 'think'. It's the affirmative command form. Notice it looks just like the 'he/she thinks' form.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Command vs. Statement
Mistake: "¡Tú piensas en eso!"
Correction: ¡Piensa en eso! To make a positive command for `tú`, you drop the final '-s' from the regular `piensas` form.
⭐ Usage Tips
Giving Advice
This command form is often used to give friendly advice. You might hear a friend say, Piensa en tu futuro ('Think about your future') to encourage you.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: piensa
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence means 'She is thinking about her family'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between `piensa que`, `piensa en`, and `piensa de`?
Great question! Use `piensa que` to introduce an opinion ('He thinks that...'). Use `piensa en` for the person or thing on someone's mind ('She thinks about...'). Use `piensa de` mostly in questions to ask for an opinion ('¿Qué piensa de la película?' - 'What does he think of the movie?').
Why isn't it 'pensa'? Why the 'ie'?
`Pensar` is a 'stem-changing' verb. For many common verbs in Spanish, the vowel in the main part (the stem) changes when you conjugate it. For `pensar`, the 'e' stretches into an 'ie' in most present-tense forms, like `pienso`, `piensas`, and `piensa`. It's a pattern you'll see in other useful verbs like `querer` (quiero) and `empezar` (empiezo)!