Exploring Thoughts: A Comprehensive Guide to the Conjugation of the Portuguese Verb 'Pensar'

May 24th, 2023 - Vera

In the realm of the Portuguese language, the verb “pensar” (to think) holds a profound significance. “Pensar” allows us to express thoughts, ideas, opinions, and reflections. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the conjugation of “pensar” across various tenses and moods, accompanied by example sentences to illustrate their practical usage. By mastering the conjugations of “pensar,” you will gain the ability to convey your thoughts and engage in meaningful conversations in the Portuguese language.

Present Indicative Tense

  1. Eu penso - I think
    • Eu penso que é importante estudar todos os dias. (I think it’s important to study every day.)
  2. Tu pensas - You think (informal singular)
    • Tu pensas em viajar pelo mundo um dia. (You think about traveling the world one day.)
  3. Ele/Ela/Você pensa - He/She/You think (formal singular)
    • Ele pensa que é necessário cuidar do meio ambiente. (He thinks it’s necessary to take care of the environment.)
  4. Nós pensamos - We think
    • Nós pensamos em começar um negócio próprio. (We think about starting our own business.)
  5. Vós pensais - You think (informal plural - rarely used)
    • Vós pensais de maneira diferente sobre o assunto. (You think differently about the subject.)
  6. Eles/Elas/Vocês pensam - They/You think (plural)
    • Eles pensam que a educação é a chave para o desenvolvimento. (They think that education is the key to development.)

Imperfect Indicative Tense

  1. Eu pensava - I used to think
    • Eu pensava que o mundo era um lugar perfeito. (I used to think that the world was a perfect place.)
  2. Tu pensavas - You used to think (informal singular)
    • Tu pensavas que era impossível alcançar seus sonhos. (You used to think it was impossible to achieve your dreams.)
  3. Ele/Ela/Você pensava - He/She/You used to think (formal singular)
    • Ele pensava que a felicidade estava fora do seu alcance. (He used to think that happiness was out of his reach.)
  4. Nós pensávamos - We used to think
    • Nós pensávamos que o futuro seria mais simples. (We used to think that the future would be simpler.)
  5. Vós pensáveis - You used to think (informal plural - rarely used)
    • Vós pensáveis que o trabalho árduo não valia a pena. (You used to think that hard work was not worth it.)
  6. Eles/Elas/Vocês pensavam - They/You used to think (plural)
    • Eles pensavam que a vida era injusta. (They used to think that life was unfair.)

Preterite Indicative Tense

  1. Eu pensei - I thought
    • Eu pensei muito antes de tomar uma decisão. (I thought a lot before making a decision.)
  2. Tu pensaste - You thought (informal singular)
    • Tu pensaste que nunca conseguirias superar esse desafio. (You thought you would never overcome this challenge.)
  3. Ele/Ela/Você pensou - He/She/You thought (formal singular)
    • Ele pensou que encontraria a resposta no final do livro. (He thought he would find the answer at the end of the book.)
  4. Nós pensamos - We thought
    • Nós pensamos que tínhamos feito tudo certo. (We thought we had done everything right.)
  5. Vós pensastes - You thought (informal plural - rarely used)
    • Vós pensastes que a solução seria mais simples. (You thought the solution would be simpler.)
  6. Eles/Elas/Vocês pensaram - They/You thought (plural)
    • Eles pensaram que o projeto seria um sucesso. (They thought the project would be a success.)

Future Indicative Tense

  1. Eu pensarei - I will think
    • Eu pensarei com cuidado antes de tomar uma decisão. (I will think carefully before making a decision.)
  2. Tu pensarás - You will think (informal singular)
    • Tu pensarás em novas possibilidades para o futuro. (You will think about new possibilities for the future.)
  3. Ele/Ela/Você pensará - He/She/You will think (formal singular)
    • Ele pensará nas consequências antes de agir. (He will think about the consequences before acting.)
  4. Nós pensaremos - We will think
    • Nós pensaremos em soluções criativas para o problema. (We will think of creative solutions to the problem.)
  5. Vós pensareis - You will think (informal plural - rarely used)
    • Vós pensareis em maneiras de melhorar o processo. (You will think of ways to improve the process.)
  6. Eles/Elas/Vocês pensarão - They/You will think (plural)
    • Eles pensarão em como ajudar os menos afortunados. (They will think about how to help the less fortunate.)

Conditional Mood

  1. Eu pensaria - I would think
    • Eu pensaria duas vezes antes de tomar essa decisão. (I would think twice before making that decision.)
  2. Tu pensarias - You would think (informal singular)
    • Tu pensarias em mudar de carreira se tivesses a oportunidade. (You would think about changing careers if you had the opportunity.)
  3. Ele/Ela/Você pensaria - He/She/You would think (formal singular)
    • Ele pensaria em viajar pelo mundo se ganhasse na loteria. (He would think about traveling the world if he won the lottery.)
  4. Nós pensaríamos - We would think
    • Nós pensaríamos em como tornar o mundo um lugar melhor. (We would think about how to make the world a better place.)
  5. Vós pensaríeis - You would think (informal plural - rarely used)
    • Vós pensaríeis em desafiar as convenções sociais. (You would think about challenging social conventions.)
  6. Eles/Elas/Vocês pensariam - They/You would think (plural)
    • Eles pensariam em formas criativas de resolver o problema. (They would think of creative ways to solve the problem.)

Subjunctive Mood

Present Subjunctive Tense

  1. Que eu pense - That I think
    • É importante que eu pense positivamente mesmo em momentos difíceis. (It’s important that I think positively even in difficult times.)
  2. Que tu penses - That you think (informal singular)
    • É necessário que tu penses cuidadosamente antes de tomar uma decisão. (It’s necessary that you think carefully before making a decision.)
  3. Que ele/ela/você pense - That he/she/you think (formal singular)
    • É fundamental que ele pense no impacto de suas ações. (It’s fundamental that he thinks about the impact of his actions.)
  4. Que nós pensemos - That we think
    • É importante que nós pensemos em soluções sustentáveis para o meio ambiente. (It’s important that we think about sustainable solutions for the environment.)
  5. Que vós penseis - That you think (informal plural - rarely used)
    • Não é justo que vós penseis apenas em vossos interesses pessoais. (It’s not fair that you think only about your personal interests.)
  6. Que eles/elas/vocês pensem - That they/you think (plural)
    • É recomendável que eles pensem nas consequências antes de agir. (It’s advisable that they think about the consequences before acting.)

Imperfect Subjunctive Tense

  1. Que eu pensasse - That I thought
    • Eu desejava que eu pensasse com mais clareza naquele momento. (I wished that I thought more clearly at that moment.)
  2. Que tu pensasses - That you thought (informal singular)
    • Seria bom que tu pensasses nas consequências antes de agir impulsivamente. (It would be good if you thought about the consequences before acting impulsively.)
  3. Que ele/ela/você pensasse - That he/she/you thought (formal singular)
    • Era importante que ele pensasse com empatia antes de fazer um julgamento. (It was important that he thought with empathy before making a judgment.)
  4. Que nós pensássemos - That we thought
    • Eu preferiria que nós pensássemos juntos em soluções criativas. (I would prefer that we thought together about creative solutions.)
  5. Que vós pensásseis - That you thought (informal plural - rarely used)
    • Eu desejava que vós pensásseis de maneira mais aberta e flexível. (I wished that you thought in a more open and flexible way.)
  6. Que eles/elas/vocês pensassem - That they/you thought (plural)
    • Seria bom que eles pensassem nas diferentes perspectivas antes de tomar uma decisão. (It would be good if they thought about different perspectives before making a decision.)

Imperative Mood

  1. Pensa - Think (informal singular)
    • Pensa antes de responder. (Think before answering.)
  2. Pense - Think (formal singular)
    • Pense cuidadosamente antes de tomar uma decisão. (Think carefully before making a decision.)
  3. Pensemos - Let’s think
    • Pensemos juntos em soluções criativas. (Let’s think together about creative solutions.)
  4. Pensai - Think (informal plural - rarely used)
    • Pensai nas consequências de vossas ações. (Think about the consequences of your actions.)
  5. Pensem - Think (formal plural)
    • Pensem em diferentes pontos de vista antes de julgar. (Think about different perspectives before judging.)

Conclusion

Through this comprehensive guide, you have explored the conjugations of the verb “pensar” and gained a deeper understanding of how to express thoughts and engage in meaningful conversations in the Portuguese language. From the present indicative to the subjunctive mood, you now possess the tools to accurately convey your ideas, opinions, and reflections. Embrace the power of “pensar” and let it expand your ability to express your thoughts and engage in thoughtful discourse in the captivating world of the Portuguese language.

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