A simple storybook illustration showing three distinct people—a child, a woman, and a man—sitting side-by-side, each with a hand resting on their chin in a classic pose of deep thought.

piensen

pyén-sen

VerbB1irregular (stem-changing e>ie) ar

(that) they think?Subjunctive mood, referring to 'ellos/ellas',(that) you all think?Subjunctive mood, referring to formal 'ustedes',think (command)?Formal command ('ustedes' imperative)

Also:(that) they consider?When the meaning is 'to consider'

Quick Reference

infinitivepensar

gerundpensando

past Participlepensado

📝 In Action

Es crucial que piensen en las consecuencias antes de actuar.

It is crucial that they (or you all, formal) think about the consequences before acting.

Piensen un momento: ¿cuál es la mejor opción?

Think for a moment: what is the best option?

No creo que piensen lo mismo que nosotros.

I don't believe that they think the same thing as us.

Word Connections

Synonyms

reflexionen ((that) they reflect)
consideren ((that) they consider)

Antonyms

olviden ((that) they forget)

Common Collocations

que piensen en el futuro – that they think about the future
piensen con calma – think calmly

💡 Grammar Points

The Subjunctive Mood

'Piensen' is a special verb form (subjunctive) used when expressing things like wishes, doubts, emotions, or uncertainty about what 'they' or 'you all' are doing.

Formal Command

When used alone, '¡Piensen!' is a formal way to tell a group of people ('ustedes') to 'Think!'. It uses the same form as the present subjunctive.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Missing the Stem Change

Mistake: "Using 'pensan' instead of 'piensen' for the subjunctive."

Correction: The verb 'pensar' changes its vowel from E to IE in most forms, including 'piensen', but not in the 'nosotros' form (pensemos).

⭐ Usage Tips

Trigger Words

You will hear 'que piensen' after phrases like 'Espero que...' (I hope that...), 'Quiero que...' (I want that...), or 'Dudo que...' (I doubt that...).

🔄 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: piensen

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'piensen' as a formal command?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

pensar(to think) - verb

pensamiento(thought, idea) - noun

pensativo(thoughtful) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'pensar' change to 'piensen'?

The verb 'pensar' is a stem-changing verb. The 'e' in the middle changes to 'ie' in most present tense forms (like 'pienso,' 'piensa,' and 'piensen'). This is a common irregularity in Spanish verbs.

Is 'piensen' always formal?

When used as a command (Imperative), yes, it is the formal plural command ('ustedes'). However, when used in the Subjunctive mood (e.g., 'Espero que piensen...'), it can refer to either a formal group ('ustedes') or simply 'they' ('ellos/ellas').