penser at C1 — refined & idiomatic
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Without « que », the verb means to intend.
Penser as intention
Drop the que and put an infinitive straight after, and penser stops meaning “think” and starts meaning “plan to”: « je pense partir demain » — I’m planning to leave tomorrow. It is softer and less committed than je vais partir.
Two more at this level. Penser du bien / du mal de gives a verdict on someone. And faire penser à means to be reminiscent of: « ça me fait penser à mon enfance » — an extremely common native construction.
💡 Focus at this level: Idiomatic — penser + infinitive
👨🏫 How to use « penser » at this level
1. No « que » = intention. « Je pense venir » is a plan, not a thought.
2. « Ça me fait penser à… » is how natives make associations.
3. Use it to hedge plans. Less binding than the near future.
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