Inklingo

How to Say "consider" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “consider” is “piense” — use 'piense' when you want to say 'thinks' or 'reflects' in a formal or polite context, or when referring to a singular 'usted' (you, formal)..

English → Spanish

piense

pee-EN-seh/ˈpjense/

VerbA1Formal
Use 'piense' when you want to say 'thinks' or 'reflects' in a formal or polite context, or when referring to a singular 'usted' (you, formal).
A young person sits quietly, resting their chin on their hand, deep in contemplation. A simple white thought bubble hovers above their head.

Examples

El profesor piense que el estudiante ha entendido la lección.

The professor thinks the student has understood the lesson.

Espero que mi jefe piense que hice un buen trabajo.

I hope my boss thinks I did a good job.

No creo que Juan piense en el futuro.

I don't think Juan thinks about the future.

Dile a tu amigo que piense bien antes de decidir.

Tell your friend to think carefully before deciding. (Formal command, 'usted')

The Subjunctive Mood

'Piense' is the special verb form (subjunctive) used when the sentence expresses doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty about the act of thinking. It usually follows words like 'espero que' (I hope that) or 'no creo que' (I don't believe that).

Stem Change Reminder

The infinitive is 'pensar,' but the root vowel 'e' changes to 'ie' in many forms, including 'piense.' This change happens to keep the sound consistent.

Indicative vs. Subjunctive

Mistake: “No creo que él piensa.”

Correction: No creo que él piense. (When you express doubt or negation, Spanish requires the subjunctive form 'piense,' not the standard present form 'piensa.')

piensa

/pyen-sa//ˈpjensa/

Verb (Command)A2Informal
Use 'piensa' as an informal command (tú) to tell someone to 'think' or 'reflect' about something.
A simple illustration showing a friendly character with a surprised expression, pointing to their own head with a finger, urging another character to stop and use their mind.

Examples

Antes de decidir, piensa bien en las consecuencias.

Before deciding, think carefully about the consequences.

Antes de responder, piensa un momento.

Before you answer, think for a moment.

¡Piensa en las consecuencias!

Think about the consequences!

Piensa bien lo que vas a decir.

Think carefully about what you are going to say.

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.

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.

Command vs. Opinion

The most common mistake is confusing the informal command 'piensa' (think!) with the formal 'piense' (he/she/you formal thinks). Remember that 'piensa' is used for direct, informal instructions, while 'piense' is for opinions or formal address.

Related Translations

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