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JLPT N4Grammar Patterns

と思う— I think / I believe

Expresses the speaker's thoughts, opinions, or beliefs. Plain form + と思う. For third-person thoughts, use と思っている.

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Pro lessonUNIT 82 · GRAMMAR PATTERNS

Structure · 形

[Plain form] + と思う / と思います

Examples · 例文

  • 彼は来ないと思います。

    Kare wa konai to omoimasu.

    I think he won't come.

    来ない (plain neg) + と思います

  • 難しいと思っていたが、意外と簡単だった。

    Muzukashii to omotte ita ga, igai to kantan datta.

    I thought it was difficult, but it was unexpectedly easy.

    思っていた = was thinking (ongoing past)

  • この店のラーメンは日本で一番おいしいと思う。

    Kono mise no raamen wa Nihon de ichiban oishii to omou.

    I think this shop's ramen is the best in Japan.

    おいしい (plain form) + と思う = speaker's opinion

Usage notes · 注意

  • Key Concept: と思う = my current opinion.
  • Detail: と思っている = ongoing thought/belief.
  • Detail: 〜と思われる = seems (impersonal/formal).
  • Volitional + と思う = I think I'll: 行こうと思います (I think I'll go).

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones と思う is tested against.

vsようと思う (volitional + と思う)

Dictionary-form + と思う states a belief/opinion (来ると思う = I think he'll come). Volitional + と思う states the speaker's own intention (来ようと思う = I'm thinking of coming).

vsでしょう / だろう

と思う explicitly frames it as the speaker's personal opinion; でしょう states a probable inference more objectively without foregrounding 'I think'.

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