sensushi
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と思う details

write + I think that

kaku to omou

I think that; in my opinion

この映画えいが、君きみも気きに入いると思おもうよ。

kono eiga, kimi mo ki ni iru to omou yo.

I think you'll like this movie too. casual

彼かれは自分じぶんのやり方かたが正ただしいと思おもっている。

kare wa jibun no yarikata ga tadashii to omotte iru.

He believes his way of doing things is right. neutral

  • colloquial
  • past
  • polite

Examples

I think that — stating the speaker's own opinion or judgment

この映画えいが、君きみも気きに入いると思おもうよ。

kono eiga, kimi mo ki ni iru to omou yo.

I think you'll like this movie too. casual

値段ねだんの割わりに品質ひんしつはいいと思おもう。

nedan no wari ni hinshitsu wa ii to omou.

For the price, I think the quality is good. neutral

この計画けいかくには見直みなおしが必要ひつようだと思おもいます。

kono keikaku ni wa minaoshi ga hitsuyou da to omoimasu.

I believe this plan needs to be reconsidered. formal

believes; has been thinking — と思っている for opinions held over time, and the required choice when stating a third person's present belief

彼かれは自分じぶんのやり方かたが正ただしいと思おもっている。

kare wa jibun no yarikata ga tadashii to omotte iru.

He believes his way of doing things is right. neutral

いつか九州きゅうしゅうに住すみたいと思おもっています。

itsuka kyuushuu ni sumitai to omotte imasu.

I've been thinking I'd like to live in Kyushu someday. neutral

Formation

Variant notes

Notes

The clause in front stays fully plain — だ included: 便利[べんり]だと思う, never ×便利と思う. Negate inside the quote: 行[い]かないと思う; そうは思わない reads as pushback against what someone just said, not a neutral opinion.

Related patterns

Similar

  • でしょう

    Both soften an assertion, but と思う signs it — the speaker owns the judgment and answers for it — while でしょう presents the same content as impersonal likelihood; opinion surveys collect と思います, weather forecasts run on でしょう.

  • はずがない

    Negative expectation at two strengths — ないと思う files a mild personal opinion ("I don't think so"), はずがない categorically excludes the possibility and implies the speaker has grounds for saying so.

  • という

    Same quotative と over a finished plain clause — 言う puts the content in someone's mouth, 思う in the speaker's head; 来ると言っている reports their words and commits them, 来ると思う offers only the speaker's own guess.

Lookalikes

  • そうだ

    Both bolt onto a finished plain clause and report its content, but と思う sources the claim to the speaker's own head and そうだ to someone else's mouth — 来ると思う is an opinion, 来るそうだ a relayed report.

  • （よ）うと思う

    One kana apart with opposite jobs — 行こうと思う (volitional) states the speaker's intention; 行くと思う (plain form) is conjecture about what will merely happen.