Penser à vs Penser de – What’s the Difference in French?

Penser à vs Penser de

The French expressions penser à and penser de can both be translated using the English verb to think, but they are not interchangeable.

The difference is the kind of thought you want to express:

Penser à means to think about someone or something, or to have something on your mind.
Penser de is used when asking or expressing what you think of someone or something—in other words, your opinion.

Compare:

Je pense à ce film. — I’m thinking about that movie.
Que penses-tu de ce film ? — What do you think of that movie?

The preposition changes the meaning, so it’s important to learn these two expressions separately.

In this lesson, you’ll see when to use penser à and penser de, with examples and a simple way to remember the difference.

You can download a PDF of this lesson guide in my private French Grammar Library.

If you’d like to review other common uses of these two prepositions, take a look at my lesson on French prepositions À and DE.

1. Penser à – To Think About Someone or Something

Use penser à when talking about a person, thing, or idea that is on your mind. It can mean to think about, think of, or have someone or something in mind.

Penser à + a person

Je pense à toi. — I’m thinking of you.
Elle pense souvent à ses enfants. — She often thinks about her children.
Tu penses à moi ? — Are you thinking about me?
Nous pensons à nos amis qui habitent à l’étranger. — We’re thinking about our friends who live abroad.

Penser à + a thing

Je pense à mes vacances. — I’m thinking about my vacation.
Il pense à son avenir. — He’s thinking about his future.
Nous pensons à notre prochain voyage. — We’re thinking about our next trip.
Tu penses à fermer la porte ? — Are you remembering to close the door?

Notice that penser à can also be used before an infinitive:

Je pense à appeler Marie. — I’m thinking about calling Marie.
N’oublie pas de penser à acheter du pain. — Don’t forget to think about buying bread.

Remember: Penser à is about the person, thing, or action occupying your thoughts. It does not ask for an opinion.

2. Penser de – To Have an Opinion About Something

Use penser de when asking or expressing an opinion or judgment about someone or something.

It is especially common in questions:

Qu’est-ce que tu penses de ce film ? — What do you think of this movie?
Que penses-tu de cette idée ? — What do you think of this idea?
Que pensez-vous de cette ville ? — What do you think of this city?
Qu’est-ce qu’elle pense de son nouveau travail ? — What does she think of her new job?

You can also use penser de to express an opinion:

Je ne pense pas grand-chose de son idée. — I don’t think much of his idea.
Que penser de cette décision ? — What should we think of this decision?

Remember: Penser de is about someone’s opinion or judgment. When you want to ask what someone thinks of something, use penser de, not penser à.

3. Penser à vs Penser de: What’s the Difference?

Expression	Meaning	Example
penser à quelqu’un	to think about someone	Je pense à toi.
penser à quelque chose	to think about something	Je pense à mes vacances.
penser à faire quelque chose	to think about / remember to do something	Je pense à fermer la porte.
penser de quelque chose	to have an opinion about something	Que penses-tu de ce film ?