pensavo

Pensavo is the first-person singular imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb pensare, meaning to think. In translation it corresponds to “I thought” or “I was thinking,” depending on the context.

Conjugation and usage: pensare is a regular -are verb. The imperfect tense forms are io pensavo, tu pensavi, lui/lei pensava, noi pensavamo, voi pensavate, loro pensavano. The imperfect is used to describe ongoing or habitual past mental actions, or background information in narratives. It can also appear in reported speech, as in “Pensavo che fosse lui” (I thought that it was him).

Etymology and meaning: pensare derives from Latin pensāre, meaning to weigh, consider, or think. The shift from weighing to considering underlies its broad sense of forming thoughts or opinions. The word is a core building block in expressing beliefs, doubts, plans, and reflections.

Common constructions: with a direct thought, as in “Pensavo a te” (I was thinking about you). With “pensare di” or “pensare che” to introduce a proposition, often in past narration: “Pensavo di andare al cinema” or “Pensavo che avesse ragione.” The simple past form pensai exists in Italian literature as the past historic, but pensavo is predominantly used in everyday speech to convey imperfect or narrative background.

See also: pensare, related phrases using pensare di or pensare che, and the broader Italian verb conjugation patterns for -are verbs.