Short, fast and usually without « ne ».
Spoken French shortens this verb hard. « J’pense pas » — with the e of je swallowed and no ne — is the everyday “I don’t think so”. Written out it looks wrong; spoken, it is completely standard.
You will also hear « tu penses ! » as an exclamation meaning “obviously!” or, sarcastically, “as if!”. Tone decides which. And « penses-tu ! » is a flat dismissal — no, not at all.
💡 Focus at this level: Native slang
1. Swallow the « je ». « J’pense » is normal speed, not sloppiness.
2. Drop the « ne » always. « Je pense pas. »
3. Listen for tone on « tu penses ! » — agreement or mockery, never neutral.
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