The preterite of pensar is used to express a specific instance of thinking in the past, for example Pensé en ti todo el día (I thought about you all day). This tense emphasizes the completed action of thinking at a particular moment.

This is a regular -ar verb that follows the standard preterite conjugation pattern. Note that unlike in the present tense, pensar does not undergo any stem changes in the preterite.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Pensar (to think) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The preterite of pensar expresses a completed action of thinking or considering in the past.

To think: Describes having specific thoughts, for example Pensé en ti ayer (I thought about you yesterday) or Pensó que era una buena idea (He/she thought it was a good idea).

To consider/plan: Used for contemplating or planning, for example Pensé en cambiar de trabajo (I considered changing jobs).

Examples

Examples of Pensar in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Pensé en ti todo el día. (I thought about you all day.)

Pensaste bien antes de decidir. (You thought well before deciding.)

El arquitecto pensó en un diseño innovador. (The architect thought of an innovative design.)

Pensamos en mudarnos al extranjero. (We thought about moving abroad.)

Los científicos pensaron en una solución. (The scientists thought of a solution.)

Pensé que era una buena idea. (I thought it was a good idea.)

Pensaste en las consecuencias. (You thought about the consequences.)

La escritora pensó en un final diferente. (The writer thought of a different ending.)

Pensamos en nuestro futuro juntos. (We thought about our future together.)

Los estudiantes pensaron en varias opciones. (The students thought about several options.)

Pensé en renunciar a mi trabajo. (I thought about quitting my job.)

Pensaste en comprar una casa. (You thought about buying a house.)

El detective pensó en todos los detalles. (The detective thought about all the details.)

Pensamos en comenzar un negocio. (We thought about starting a business.)

Los artistas pensaron en nuevas ideas. (The artists thought of new ideas.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Pensar (to think) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.