Pensar vs. Creer
 

Cuando se usa los verbos pensar o creer?

I'm just confused as to when you use each, because I know that they both mean "to think", correct?

Creo :p que:

"Creer" significa "to believe" - "I don't believe this" = "No creo este"

Pensar, por otra parte, significa "to think" - "Necesito pinsar" = "I need to think"

Creer signifies believing in a certain thing, event, etc.
Pensar signifies the actual action of thinking (i.e. pondering) about something

I think I understand that! Sometimes it just helps if someone writes it out for me...thanks so much! :)

Well it's just very easy.

The word Creer means Believe, you must use it when you need to express the believing in something.

For instance.

Creo en dios.

I believe in god.

And about the another word is you need to think something.

I mean.

Pienso en mi casa.

I think about my home.


I hope you can understand this words.;)

Sometimes you can use both "pensar" and "creer":

Creo que tienes razón = pienso que tienes razón
Creo que por este agujero pueden entrar ratones = pienso que por este agujero pueden entrar ratones
Creo que hoy iré a nadar = estoy pensando en ir a nadar hoy (look the differences in the tense of the verbs):

Estoy pensando ahora, estaré pensando un tiempo, ...
"Creo" siempre, he decidido creer algo o en algo (estoy creyendo :thumbsdown:).
Estoy pensando si creerte o no :)

(Cuando "crees" la decisión está tomada, pero puedes "estar pensando" durante un tiempo, sin tomar decisiones)

Ceer como "believe":

Creo en Dios, las leyes, los hombres, la naturaleza, ...

agree with irmamar
More info here http://forums.tomisimo.org/showthread.php?t=3856
Usually you can use both verbs for the same sentence.
But "pensar" has his originis in "the brain working" and creer is more "believing"
For example:
"Estoy pensando en Dios" I'm actually thinking about God
"creo en Dios" I believe in God

You say "Estoy pensando en una manera de escapar" (I'm thinking in a way to flee/escape)
and " Creo que tiene que haber una manera de escaparr" (I believe there must be a way to flee/escape"

saludos :D

It is the same in English... :)

No. "To believe" siempre significa "creer", pero "to think" puede ser "pensar" o "creer" según el contexto. Por ejemplo, "Do you think that ...?" es una pregunta sobre las creencias.

No?

re-read all the posts and tell me... :-)

Which post you were referring to when you said "It's the same"? I assumed it was the one before yours, which makes a distinction between mental activity and belief.