Pensar vs. Creer

[Elizabeth]

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?

[satchrocks]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth

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 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

[Elizabeth]

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

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth

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?

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.

[irmamar]

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 ).
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, ...

[sosia]

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

[chileno]

It is the same in English...

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by chileno

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.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by pjt33

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... :-)

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by chileno

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.