“Penser” – Conjugation of the French Verb

The French language is known for its intricate verb conjugations, and one common verb that exemplifies this complexity is “penser.” In this article, we will explore the conjugation of the verb “penser” in different tenses and moods, providing you with a comprehensive guide to using this important French verb.

 

Present Indicative

In the present indicative tense, “penser” is conjugated as follows:

– Je pense (I think)
– Tu penses (You think)
– Il/elle/on pense (He/she/one thinks)
– Nous pensons (We think)
– Vous pensez (You think)
– Ils/elles pensent (They think)

 

Imperfect Indicative

The imperfect indicative tense is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. The conjugation of “penser” in this tense is as follows:

– Je pensais (I used to think)
– Tu pensais (You used to think)
– Il/elle/on pensait (He/she/one used to think)
– Nous pensions (We used to think)
– Vous pensiez (You used to think)
– Ils/elles pensaient (They used to think)

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Simple Future

To express actions that will happen in the future, you can use the simple future tense of “penser.” Here's how it's conjugated:

– Je penserai (I will think)
– Tu penseras (You will think)
– Il/elle/on pensera (He/she/one will think)
– Nous penserons (We will think)
– Vous penserez (You will think)
– Ils/elles penseront (They will think)

 

Conditional

The conditional mood is used to express hypothetical actions or events. The conjugation of “penser” in the conditional mood is as follows:

– Je penserais (I would think)
– Tu penserais (You would think)
– Il/elle/on penserait (He/she/one would think)
– Nous penserions (We would think)
– Vous penseriez (You would think)
– Ils/elles penseraient (They would think)

 

Subjunctive

The subjunctive mood is used to convey doubt, desire, or uncertainty. Here's how “penser” is conjugated in the subjunctive mood:

– Que je pense (That I think)
– Que tu penses (That you think)
– Qu'il/elle/on pense (That he/she/one thinks)
– Que nous pensions (That we think)
– Que vous pensiez (That you think)
– Qu'ils/elles pensent (That they think)

 

10 example sentences with the word “penser”

Here are 10 example sentences with the word “penser” in different grammatical tenses:

  1. Je pense souvent à mes amis. (I often think about my friends) – Present Indicative
  2. Tu pensais à ton avenir hier soir. (You were thinking about your future last night) – Imperfect Indicative
  3. Il pensera à son anniversaire demain. (He will think about his birthday tomorrow) – Simple Future
  4. Elle aurait pensé à nous inviter. (She would have thought to invite us) – Conditional
  5. Nous voulons que tu penses à notre proposition. (We want you to think about our proposal) – Subjunctive
  6. Quand ils pensent à leur voyage, ils sourient. (When they think about their trip, they smile) – Present Indicative
  7. J'étais en train de penser à ce problème. (I was thinking about this problem) – Imperfect Indicative
  8. Nous penserons à tout planifier minutieusement. (We will think about planning everything meticulously) – Simple Future
  9. Elle penserait à sa famille si elle partait. (She would think about her family if she left) – Conditional
  10. Il faut que tu penses à ton avenir. (You need to think about your future) – Subjunctive
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