と思う

I Think

Level 1Sounds Like toomou

Use と思う to frame a statement as your own opinion or a guess. It translates to 'I think that...' and is essential for sounding polite and less assertive in Japanese.

How It Works

In Japanese, stating facts directly can often sound too blunt. Using と思う (or the polite と思います) acts as a 'social lubricant,' making your statements sound more humble and open to other perspectives.

How to form it:
The clause before と must always be in the Plain Form, even if the final verb is polite (思います).

  • Verbs: Use the Plain Form (e.g., 行く（いく） + と思う).
  • い-Adjectives: Use the Plain Form (e.g., 美味しい（おいしい） + と思う).
  • な-Adjectives: Add だ after the stem (e.g., 静か（しずか）だ + と思う).
  • Nouns: Add だ after the noun (e.g., 学生（がくせい）だ + と思う).

Note: In very casual speech, this 'だ' is sometimes omitted, but it is required for standard grammar.

Expressing Intentions (~ようと思う):
When combined with the Volitional Form, this pattern expresses what you are thinking of doing or your current intentions. For example: 「日本に行こうと思う」(I think I will go to Japan/I'm planning to go to Japan).

First Person vs. Others:

  • First Person: Use と思う for your own current opinions.
  • Second Person: You can use と思う in questions to ask for someone's opinion (e.g., 「どう思う？」 - What do you think?).
  • Third Person: Because you cannot read minds, you usually use 〜と思っている (is thinking) or hearsay patterns like 〜そうだ. However, と思った (past tense) can be used for others in storytelling or when they have already expressed that thought.

Momentary vs. Continuous:

  • と思う: Used for an opinion formed at the moment or a general thought.
  • と思っている: Used for a long-held belief or a continuous state of mind.

Examples (5)

  1. 明日、雨が降ると思います。

    I think it will rain tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow, rain (subject) fall (quotation) think (polite).

    Here, the speaker is making a prediction or guess about the weather.

  2. この映画はあまり面白くないと思う。

    I don't think this movie is very interesting.

    Word by Word: This movie (topic) not very interesting think.

    Notice that the negative is placed on the adjective (面白くない) rather than the verb 'think'.

  3. 彼は親切な人だと思いませんか。

    Don't you think he is a kind person?

    Word by Word: He (topic) kind person is (quotation) think not?

    Using the negative question form (〜と思いませんか) is a common way to ask for someone else's opinion.

  4. 日本料理は美味しいと思います。

    I think Japanese food is delicious.

    Word by Word: Japanese food (topic) delicious think (polite).

    A standard way to express a personal opinion about a taste or experience.

  5. 田中さんは学生だと思います。

    I think Mr. Tanaka is a student.

    Word by Word: Tanaka-san (topic) student is (quotation) think (polite).

    When using a noun like 学生（がくせい）, you must include the copula だ before と思う.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting 'だ' with nouns or な-adjectives in standard speech.

    彼は日本人と思う。
    彼は日本人だと思う。

    In standard Japanese, nouns and な-adjectives require the copula だ before the quotation particle と. While it is sometimes dropped in very casual conversation, including it is the grammatically correct form.

  • Using polite forms inside the thought clause.

    明日、雨が降りますと思う。
    明日、雨が降ると思う。

    Even if the main verb is polite (思います), the clause inside the thought must remain in the Plain Form.

  • Negating 'think' instead of the content.

    雨が降ると思わない。
    雨が降らないと思う。

    While '思わない' is grammatically possible, it is much more natural in Japanese to negate the action itself ('I think it won't rain') rather than the act of thinking ('I don't think it will rain').

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

と思うLevel 1I Think

Learn This First

To use 'と思う', you need to understand how the particle 'と' functions as a quotation marker to wrap a thought or opinion. Additionally, since this pattern attaches to a complete statement, you must be familiar with basic sentence structure and how verbs like '思う' are used at the end of a sentence.

Words in This Pattern