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N4Lesson notes · Oct 4, 2026

Think in Japanese: 思おもう vs 考かんがえる, and why "I think" softens every sentence

"Think" in Japanese is 思おもう (おもう) when you hold an opinion or a feeling, and 考かんがえる (かんがえる) when you work something out on purpose — and the 〜と思おもいます ending is mostly a softener, not a report of mental effort.

If you search for "think in Japanese," you will find two verbs and a lot of confusion. Both are translated as "think," so learners treat them as synonyms. They are not. 思おもう is something that arises in you. 考かんがえる is something that you do. Once you feel that split, a handful of common patterns (〜と思おもいます, 〜ようと思おもう, 思おもいつく, 考かんがえ) fall into place, and you also understand why Japanese speakers attach "I think" to so many sentences where English would never bother.

The basics

What is the difference between 思おもう and 考かんがえる?

思おもう is an opinion, a guess or a feeling that is simply there in your head. 考かんがえる is active thinking: weighing, planning, working something out. A quick test: if you could add "carefully" or "for a while," it is 考かんがえる.

明日あしたは雨あめだと思おもいます。 — I think it will rain tomorrow. (polite, a guess) ちょっと考かんがえさせてください。 — Please let me think about it for a moment. (polite, a deliberate pause)

The first sentence needs no effort: the thought just exists. The second one means "give me time to work it out." You can think of 思おもう as "I feel it to be so" and 考かんがえる as "I am thinking it through."

How do you say "I think that..." with 〜と思おもう?

Put the plain form of a sentence before と, then add 思おもう or 思おもいます. The sentence inside is the thing you think.

この映画えいがはおもしろいと思おもいます。 — I think this movie is interesting. (polite, an opinion) 彼かれは来こないと思おもう。 — I think he won't come. (casual, a guess) 日本語にほんごは難むずかしいと思おもった。 — I thought Japanese was difficult. (casual, past, a reaction)

Inside the と, use the plain form: おもしろい, 来こない, 難むずかしい. For a noun or a な-adjective, keep だ before と: 彼かれは学生がくせいだと思おもう (学生がくせいと思おもう is a common mistake). With かもしれない there is no だ to keep: 学生がくせいかもしれないと思おもう. For how the guess forms work, see かもしれない.

How do you ask "What do you think?"

Use どう思おもいますか, literally "how do you think?" It is the natural question for an opinion. For a casual question, drop it to どう思おもう?

これ、どう思おもいますか。 — What do you think of this? (polite, asking an opinion) 日本にほんのことをどう思おもう? — What do you think about Japan? (casual, a friend)

Notice there is no object like "about" or "of." どう stands in for the whole answer. If you ask どう考かんがえますか instead, it sounds more formal and asks for a reasoned view, closer to "how do you see this?" in a meeting.

Why does 〜と思おもいます sound so different from English "I think"?

English "I think" really does report uncertainty. Japanese 〜と思おもいます is usually just a polite way to state something without sounding pushy, even when you are fairly sure. The sentence 〜です is a flat statement. Adding と思おもいます makes the same statement softer.

これはいい方法ほうほうです。 — This is a good method. (polite, plain statement) これはいい方法ほうほうだと思おもいます。 — I think this is a good method. (polite, softened, sounds like your own view)

Both are polite. The second one presents the statement as your opinion, which leaves room for disagreement. That is why presentations, emails and classroom answers are full of と思おもいます: it is a way of being modest, not a sign that you are guessing. Many speakers open with 個人的こじんてきには ("personally") to mark the view as theirs, as in 個人的こじんてきには、こっちの方ほうがいいと思おもいます, and in my opinion in Japanese explains why the word-for-word 私わたしの意見いけんでは sounds stiff.

Beyond the basics

What is the difference between 思おもいます and 思おもっています?

思おもいます gives an opinion right now. 思おもっています is the ongoing state of holding that view, and it is slightly more formal and gentler. It is also the safe form when you talk about what someone has been thinking.

それは違ちがうと思おもいます。 — I think that's different. (polite, a direct opinion) それは違ちがうと思おもっています。 — I am of the view that it's different. (polite, softer, a settled position) 彼かれは来くると思おもっていた。 — I thought he would come. (casual, past, and it turned out he didn't)

Here is a tip for the last sentence: 〜と思おもっていた often hints that reality was different. If you write 来くると思おもった, it is only a record of the thought. If you write 来くると思おもっていた, it often carries "but he didn't."

How do you say "I don't think so"?

Put the negative inside: 〜ないと思おもう. Not 〜と思おもわない in most cases. Where English moves the "not" to "I don't think," Japanese leaves it in the clause.

彼かれは来こないと思おもいます。 — I don't think he'll come. (polite, the negative stays in the clause) そうは思おもわない。 — I don't think so. (casual, a firm disagreement)

Both are fine, but they feel different. 来こないと思おもいます is soft and common. そうは思おもわない is a direct disagreement and sounds firm, because the "not" is on the thinking itself. In a polite discussion, aim for the first pattern.

How do you say "I'm thinking of doing something"?

Use the volitional form plus と思おもう: 〜ようと思おもう. It means you have a plan or an intention, but it is not final.

来年らいねん、日本にほんに行いこうと思おもっています。 — I'm thinking of going to Japan next year. (polite, an intention that is still open) 今日きょうは早はやく寝ねようと思おもう。 — I think I'll go to bed early today. (casual, a small decision)

The volitional form is 行いく → 行いこう, 寝ねる → 寝ねよう. Compared with つもり, 〜ようと思おもう is lighter: it is a plan you are inclined toward, while つもり sounds firmer. You can also say 〜ようと思おもっていた for "I was going to," often with a "but..." that follows.

What does 思おもいつく mean?

思おもいつく means "to think of" or "to come up with," as in an idea that suddenly arrives. The idea comes to you; you did not plan it.

いい案あんを思おもいついた! — I thought of a good idea! (casual, a sudden spark) 何なにも思おもいつかない。 — I can't think of anything. (casual, nothing comes to mind)

Note the difference from 考かんがえる. 考かんがえても思おもいつかない is a very natural line: "even though I thought hard, nothing came to me." Thinking is the effort. 思おもいつく is the result.

What does 考かんがえる cover that 思おもう cannot?

考かんがえる covers deliberate thinking, considering and planning, and it works for abstract topics. It is also the verb you use when you say you will consider something.

将来しょうらいのことを考かんがえています。 — I'm thinking about my future. (polite, ongoing deliberation) ちょっと考かんがえてみます。 — I'll think it over. (polite, can be a soft "probably not") 考かんがえすぎだよ。 — You're overthinking it. (casual, a friendly warning)

考かんがえてみます is worth noting: it means "I'll consider it," but in business or a shop it is often a polite way of avoiding a yes. 考かんがえすぎ ("too much thinking") is one of the most common reassurances in everyday Japanese.

What do 考かんがえ and 思おもい mean as nouns?

考かんがえ is "an idea" or "a view," something worked out. 思おもい is a feeling or a thought that rises in you, with an emotional tint.

私わたしの考かんがえでは、これが一番いちばんいいです。 — In my view, this is the best. (polite, a reasoned view) いい考かんがえですね。 — That's a good idea, isn't it? (polite, praising someone's plan) ありがとうという思おもいでいっぱいです。 — I'm full of gratitude. (polite, formal, a feeling)

You will meet 考かんがえ in meetings and essays, and 思おもい in speeches, songs and letters. The nouns keep the same split as the verbs: 考かんがえ is reasoned, 思おもい is felt. Once a 考かんがえ is put forward as an option people can compare, like A案あん and B案あん, it becomes a 案あん, and idea in Japanese sets it beside アイデア, which sounds more like a fresh creative spark.

How do anime characters say 思おもう?

Characters use 思おもう in short, strong lines, and they often pair it with a sentence-final particle. A man might say a gruff 〜と思おもうぜ, while a calm hero says 〜と思おもう straight. These are generic patterns, not lines from any one show:

俺おれはそう思おもうぜ。 — That's what I think. (casual, masculine, confident) 私わたしはそうは思おもわない。 — I don't think so. (casual, firm, a rebuttal in a debate scene) 何なにを考かんがえているの? — What are you thinking? (casual, worried, to someone who has gone quiet) お前まえ、何なにも考かんがえてないだろ。 — You're not thinking about anything, are you? (rough, teasing or angry)

In real life, ぜ and だろ are rough, and you should not copy them at work or with strangers. But hearing 思おもうぜ as a confident opinion is useful when you watch anime. The softer, everyday version is just 〜と思おもうよ.

Common mistakes

  • Using 思おもう when you mean "consider." If you are weighing options, say 考かんがえる. 「プランを思おもいます」 is wrong, and 「プランを考かんがえます」 is right.
  • Using 考かんがえる when you just mean "I guess." 「明日あしたは雨あめだと考かんがえます」 sounds stiff, like a report. For a casual guess, use と思おもう.
  • Moving the negative onto 思おもう. Say 来こないと思おもいます, not 来くると思おもいません, for "I don't think he'll come." The second sentence is grammatical but sounds strange and too firm.
  • Stating someone else's feelings flatly. 彼かれは寂さびしい sounds odd, because you cannot see inside him. Say 彼かれは寂さびしいと思おもう (I think he's lonely), 寂さびしそうだ, or 寂さびしがっている.
  • Adding と思おもいます to everything. Japanese speakers use it a lot, but not for plain facts. 「地球ちきゅうは丸まるいと思おもいます」 is strange. Use it for opinions and judgments.

Which word fits which situation?

Pattern Meaning Feel Example
〜と思おもう I think that... Opinion or guess, natural おいしいと思おもう
〜と思おもいます I think that... Polite, softened いいと思おもいます
〜と思おもっています I am of the view... Polite, settled, gentle 違ちがうと思おもっています
〜ようと思おもう I'm thinking of doing... A light intention 行いこうと思おもう
考かんがえる To think through, consider Deliberate, effortful 将来しょうらいを考かんがえる
考かんがえてみます I'll think it over Polite, can be a soft no 考かんがえてみます
思おもいつく To come up with A sudden idea 案あんを思おもいついた
考かんがえ An idea, a view Reasoned 私わたしの考かんがえでは

Practice

Build each answer before opening it. Questions 1 and 2 are a pair, and questions 5 and 6 are a pair: each shows how one small change moves the meaning.

1. You feel that a movie is interesting. Which verb fits: 思おもう or 考かんがえる?

Show answer

思おもう — an opinion that simply arises in you. この映画えいがはおもしろいと思おもいます. This is the pair to question 2.

2. You need time to work out a decision. Which verb fits: 思おもう or 考かんがえる?

Show answer

考かんがえる — deliberate thinking. ちょっと考かんがえさせてください. This is the pair to question 1.

3. Say "I think it will rain tomorrow" politely.

Show answer

明日あしたは雨あめだと思おもいます — the plain form 雨あめだ, then と, then 思おもいます.

4. Ask a friend, casually, "What do you think?"

Show answer

どう思おもう? — どう stands in for the whole answer. The polite form is どう思おもいますか.

5. Say "I don't think he'll come" in the softest, most natural way.

Show answer

彼かれは来こないと思おもいます — the negative stays inside the clause. This is the pair to question 6.

6. What is the difference between 来こないと思おもいます and そうは思おもわない?

Show answer

The first is soft; the second is a firm disagreement. そうは思おもわない puts the "not" on the thinking itself, so it sounds direct.

7. Say "I'm thinking of going to Japan next year."

Show answer

来年らいねん、日本にほんに行いこうと思おもっています — the volitional form 行いこう plus と思おもっています expresses an open intention.

8. You have a sudden idea. Say "I thought of a good idea!"

Show answer

いい案あんを思おもいついた! — 思おもいつく is the verb for an idea that arrives on its own.

9. What does 考かんがえてみます often mean in a shop or business, beyond "I'll think it over"?

Show answer

A polite way to avoid saying yes. It literally means "I'll consider it," but it often signals "probably not."

In a trial lesson, give an opinion with 〜と思おもいます and then work something out aloud with 考かんがえる, to feel which verb only softens and which one does the real working out.

FAQ

Is 思おもう or 考かんがえる more common in daily speech? 思おもう is far more common in speech, because most everyday thoughts are opinions or guesses. 考かんがえる appears when you really deliberate, in meetings and in writing.

Can I say 考かんがえると思おもいます? Yes. 〜と思おもいます can follow any plain-form clause, including 考かんがえる: 彼かれはもう少すこし考かんがえると思おもいます ("I think he'll think a bit more"). It is grammatical, though a bit wordy.

Is と思おもいます rude if I'm sure about something? No. It is a polite softener, not a sign of doubt. In Japanese, stating a fact as your own opinion is normal and respectful.

How do I say "I think so" and "I don't think so"? Use そう思おもいます for "I think so." For the negative, そうは思おもいません is firm, and 違ちがうと思おもいます ("I think it's different") is gentler.

What is the difference between 思い出おもいだす and 思おもいつく? 思い出おもいだす means to remember something you knew before. 思おもいつく means to come up with something new. One is memory and the other is invention.

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab, and each line becomes one card.

思う	おもう — to think, to feel (an opinion)
考える	かんがえる — to think through, to consider
思いつく	おもいつく — to think of, to come up with
考え	かんがえ — an idea, a view
思い	おもい — a feeling, a thought
明日	あした — tomorrow
雨	あめ — rain
難しい	むずかしい — difficult
将来	しょうらい — the future
方法	ほうほう — method
案	あん — a plan, an idea
考えすぎ	かんがえすぎ — overthinking
来年	らいねん — next year
早く	はやく — early, soon
映画	えいが — movie

I'm Yuuki, a Japanese teacher based in Tokyo. I've taught on italki as a Top 1% teacher and watched over 1,500 anime, so most of the example sentences on this blog come from lines I've actually heard students ask about — including this one, which comes up whenever someone wants to share an opinion without sounding blunt. For practice with feedback, Book a trial lesson · $13, or work through Japanese practice exercises first.

Sources: the author's own lessons and standard reference grammars.

More drills like the ones above, plus a timed JLPT-style mock test: Practice · N4 · Read something at this level: JLPT N4 stories with audio

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