pensar

to think

Spanish Irregular

The Spanish verb "pensar" means "to think" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "pensar" across all 5 tenses.

Lexi
Lexi's Memory Hack

PENSAR is a boot verb: E → IE. "PIENso, PIENsas, PIENsa… pensamos, pensáis, PIENsan." Picture the boot shape — the stress lands inside the boot and triggers the change.

Pensar en = to think about. Pensar + infinitive = to plan to do something.

How to Conjugate "pensar" in the Present Tense

Presente de indicativo Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
yo I pienso
you (informal) piensas
él/ella/usted he/she/you (formal) piensa
nosotros we pensamos
vosotros you all (Spain) pensáis
ellos/ustedes they/you all piensan
Ella piensa que es muy tarde.
She thinks it is very late.

How to Conjugate "pensar" in the Past (completed) Tense

Pretérito perfecto simple Actions that finished in the past
Person English Conjugation
yo I pensé
you (informal) pensaste
él/ella/usted he/she/you (formal) pensó
nosotros we pensamos
vosotros you all (Spain) pensasteis
ellos/ustedes they/you all pensaron
Ella pensó en cambiar de trabajo.
She thought about changing jobs.

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How to Conjugate "pensar" in the Past (ongoing) Tense

Pretérito imperfecto Actions that were ongoing in the past
Person English Conjugation
yo I pensaba
you (informal) pensabas
él/ella/usted he/she/you (formal) pensaba
nosotros we pensábamos
vosotros you all (Spain) pensabais
ellos/ustedes they/you all pensaban
Él pensaba mucho en su futuro.
He used to think a lot about his future.

How to Conjugate "pensar" in the Future Tense

Futuro simple Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
yo I pensaré
you (informal) pensarás
él/ella/usted he/she/you (formal) pensará
nosotros we pensaremos
vosotros you all (Spain) pensaréis
ellos/ustedes they/you all pensarán
Él pensará en la solución.
He will think about the solution.

How to Conjugate "pensar" in the Would (conditional) Tense

Condicional simple Hypothetical actions
Person English Conjugation
yo I pensaría
you (informal) pensarías
él/ella/usted he/she/you (formal) pensaría
nosotros we pensaríamos
vosotros you all (Spain) pensaríais
ellos/ustedes they/you all pensarían
Él pensaría en comprar una casa.
He would think about buying a house.

Frequently Asked Questions About "pensar"

Is "pensar" regular or irregular in Spanish?
"Pensar" is an irregular Spanish verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "pensar" mean in English?
The Spanish verb "pensar" means "to think" in English.
How do you conjugate "pensar" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Presente de indicativo): yo → pienso, tú → piensas, él/ella/usted → piensa, nosotros → pensamos, vosotros → pensáis, ellos/ustedes → piensan.
How many tenses does "pensar" have in Spanish?
"Pensar" is conjugated across 5 tenses in Spanish: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).

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