---
title: "Penser conjugation: all tenses with examples"
description: "Penser in every French tense: je pense, j'ai pensé, je penserai, que je pense. Full tables, examples and TCF/TEF Canada tips."
canonical: https://francaisprep.com/french-conjugation/penser
---

French conjugation

# Penser conjugation

Penser (“to think”) in every tense you need, from the présent to the subjonctif, with example sentences and how it shows up in the TCF and TEF Canada.

[Take the free level test](/tools/french-level-test)[See the tables](#tables)

-   Every tense on one page
-   Tables generated from an open French lexicon
-   Notes for TCF and TEF candidates

![Adèle, the native French teacher who runs Français Prep](/_next/image?url=%2Fadele.png&w=3840&q=75)

Adèle SasonNative French teacher - every class, every correction

In short

Penser (“to think”) is an -er verb of the first group. In the présent: je pense, tu penses, il/elle pense, nous pensons, vous pensez, ils/elles pensent. Its passé composé is formed with avoir and the past participle pensé, and its futur simple is built on the stem penser-.

## Penser at a glance

Meaning

to think

Type

\-er verb (first group)

Auxiliary

avoir

Past participle

pensé

Present participle

pensant

Future stem

penser-

## Penser in every tense

### Présent

Present

-   je pense
-   tu penses
-   il/elle pense
-   nous pensons
-   vous pensez
-   ils/elles pensent

[When to use the présent](/blog/french-verb-tenses-for-tcf-tef)

### Passé composé

Compound past

-   j'ai pensé
-   tu as pensé
-   il/elle a pensé
-   nous avons pensé
-   vous avez pensé
-   ils/elles ont pensé

[When to use the passé composé](/blog/passe-compose-vs-imparfait)

### Imparfait

Imperfect

-   je pensais
-   tu pensais
-   il/elle pensait
-   nous pensions
-   vous pensiez
-   ils/elles pensaient

[When to use the imparfait](/blog/passe-compose-vs-imparfait)

### Futur simple

Simple future

-   je penserai
-   tu penseras
-   il/elle pensera
-   nous penserons
-   vous penserez
-   ils/elles penseront

[When to use the futur simple](/blog/french-verb-tenses-for-tcf-tef)

### Conditionnel présent

Present conditional

-   je penserais
-   tu penserais
-   il/elle penserait
-   nous penserions
-   vous penseriez
-   ils/elles penseraient

[When to use the conditionnel présent](/blog/french-verb-tenses-for-tcf-tef)

### Subjonctif présent

Present subjunctive

-   que je pense
-   que tu penses
-   qu'il/elle pense
-   que nous pensions
-   que vous pensiez
-   qu'ils/elles pensent

[When to use the subjonctif présent](/blog/le-subjonctif)

### Impératif

Imperative

-   pense
-   pensons
-   pensez

### Passé simple (literary)

Simple past, used in written narrative

-   je pensai
-   tu pensas
-   il/elle pensa
-   nous pensâmes
-   vous pensâtes
-   ils/elles pensèrent

### Participles

Present and past participles

-   Present participle: pensant
-   Past participle: pensé, pensée, pensés, pensées

TCF and TEF Canada

## How penser shows up in the TCF and TEF

Like croire, « je pense que » takes the indicative and « je ne pense pas que » the subjunctive. Penser is the backbone of opinion sentences in the writing tasks.

-   Je pense que le télétravail a beaucoup d'avantages. _I think remote work has a lot of advantages._
-   Je ne pense pas que ce soit une bonne idée. _I don't think it is a good idea._

## From conjugation tables to an exam score

Knowing the forms of penser is the easy part. The TCF and TEF Canada mark whether you use the right tense, under time pressure, in your own sentences.

-   Check your level
    
    The [free French level test](/tools/french-level-test) tells you where you stand before you plan your preparation.
    
-   Prepare the exam
    
    The [TCF Canada course](/tcf-canada-course) works on grammar inside real writing and speaking tasks, with marked feedback.
    
-   Talk to a teacher
    
    [Book a free 15-minute call](/book) with Adèle to find out what to work on first.
    

Questions

## Penser conjugation: questions

### How do you conjugate penser in the present tense?

In the présent, penser is: je pense, tu penses, il/elle pense, nous pensons, vous pensez, ils/elles pensent.

### What is the passé composé of penser?

Penser forms the passé composé with avoir and the past participle pensé: j'ai pensé, tu as pensé, il/elle a pensé, nous avons pensé, vous avez pensé, ils/elles ont pensé.

### Is penser conjugated with être or avoir?

Penser takes avoir in the passé composé and the other compound tenses: j'ai pensé.

### What is penser in the futur simple?

The futur simple of penser is built on the stem penser-: je penserai, tu penseras, il/elle pensera, nous penserons, vous penserez, ils/elles penseront.

### What is the imperfect of penser?

The imparfait of penser is: je pensais, tu pensais, il/elle pensait, nous pensions, vous pensiez, ils/elles pensaient.

### What is the subjunctive of penser?

The subjonctif présent of penser is: que je pense, que tu penses, qu'il/elle pense, que nous pensions, que vous pensiez, qu'ils/elles pensent.

### What is penser in the passé simple?

The passé simple is a literary tense you will read in narratives and biographies but rarely need to write. For penser: je pensai, tu pensas, il/elle pensa, nous pensâmes, vous pensâtes, ils/elles pensèrent.

### What is the imperative of penser?

The impératif of penser has three forms: pense, pensons, pensez (tu, nous and vous).

### What is the past participle of penser?

The past participle of penser is pensé (feminine pensée, plural pensés, pensées). Its present participle is pensant.

## More French verbs

-   [donner](/french-conjugation/donner)
-   [parler](/french-conjugation/parler)
-   [aimer](/french-conjugation/aimer)
-   [passer](/french-conjugation/passer)
-   [trouver](/french-conjugation/trouver)
-   [rester](/french-conjugation/rester)
-   [appeler](/french-conjugation/appeler)
-   [commencer](/french-conjugation/commencer)

[All 64 verbs](/french-conjugation)

Conjugation tables are generated from the Lefff (Lexique des formes fléchies du français, Benoît Sagot, Inria), packaged as french-verbs-lefff@3.4.0 and distributed under the [LGPL-LR licence](https://www.labri.fr/perso/clement/lefff/licence-LGPLLR.html). Compound forms are built from its auxiliary and participle forms.

Next step

## Preparing for the TCF or TEF Canada?

Tell Adèle your exam date and where your French is today. She will tell you honestly what to work on first.

[Book a free call](/book)[See the course](/tcf-canada-course)

---

For agents: site index https://francaisprep.com/llms.txt, developer access https://francaisprep.com/developers, and TCF or TEF to NCLC conversion over a plain GET at https://api.francaisprep.com/v1/score/convert?exam=tcf_canada&listening=512&reading=470&writing=12&speaking=11 (exam is tcf_canada or tef_canada).