A gândi ("to think") is a fourth-conjugation verb in -i that takes the -esc infix in the present and present subjunctive: gândesc, gândești, gândește. Its participle gândit and gerund gândind are perfectly regular. The pattern is the same one you see in a vorbi → vorbesc and a citi → citesc, so once you have one -esc verb you have the lot.
The single most important thing for an English speaker is the split between two constructions. Bare, transitive a gândi means "to reason, to form thoughts, to have an attitude" — it is what your mind does. But when you mean "to think about" something or someone — to turn it over, to consider it, to have it on your mind — Romanian requires the reflexive a se gândi la: Mă gândesc la tine ("I'm thinking about you"). Using bare gândesc la would be wrong, and using gândesc alone where you mean "consider" sounds incomplete. Learn the two as separate verbs that happen to share a stem.
Here English is the source of the trouble: one verb, "think," covers both "think positively" (an inner activity) and "think about you" (directing attention at a target). Romanian splits exactly along that seam, marking the second sense with the reflexive clitic and the preposition la. Note also that a crede, not a gândi, is the verb for "to think" in the sense of "to hold an opinion" — cred că plouă, never gândesc că plouă. So three English uses of "think" map onto three different Romanian patterns, and keeping them apart is most of the battle.
Prezent indicativ
The -esc infix appears in the singular and 3rd-person plural.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | gândesc |
| tu | gândești |
| el / ea | gândește |
| noi | gândim |
| voi | gândiți |
| ei / ele | gândesc |
Imperfect
The imperfect drops the infix and uses the plain stem.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | gândeam |
| tu | gândeai |
| el / ea | gândea |
| noi | gândeam |
| voi | gândeați |
| ei / ele | gândeau |
Perfect compus
Auxiliary a avea plus the regular participle gândit.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | am gândit |
| tu | ai gândit |
| el / ea | a gândit |
| noi | am gândit |
| voi | ați gândit |
| ei / ele | au gândit |
Mai-mult-ca-perfectul (pluperfect)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | gândisem |
| tu | gândiseși |
| el / ea | gândise |
| noi | gândiserăm |
| voi | gândiserăți |
| ei / ele | gândiseră |
Viitor (future)
| Person | voi-future (formal) | o să-future (informal) |
|---|---|---|
| eu | voi gândi | o să gândesc |
| tu | vei gândi | o să gândești |
| el / ea | va gândi | o să gândească |
| noi | vom gândi | o să gândim |
| voi | veți gândi | o să gândiți |
| ei / ele | vor gândi | o să gândească |
Conjunctiv prezent
The infix returns, and the third person is să gândească.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | să gândesc |
| tu | să gândești |
| el / ea | să gândească |
| noi | să gândim |
| voi | să gândiți |
| ei / ele | să gândească |
Condițional prezent
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | aș gândi |
| tu | ai gândi |
| el / ea | ar gândi |
| noi | am gândi |
| voi | ați gândi |
| ei / ele | ar gândi |
Imperativ
The singular imperative is gândește! (identical to the 3rd-person present), plural gândiți! The reflexive command attaches the clitic: gândește-te! ("think it over!"), plural gândiți-vă!
| Type | Singular (tu) | Plural (voi) |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | gândește! | gândiți! |
| Affirmative (reflexive) | gândește-te! | gândiți-vă! |
| Negative | nu gândi! | nu gândiți! |
Non-finite forms
| Form | Romanian |
|---|---|
| Infinitive (short / long) | (a) gândi / gândire |
| Gerunziu | gândind |
| Participiu | gândit |
| Supin | de gândit |
Usage
The reflexive a se gândi la — "to think about" something or someone. This is the form you will use most:
Mă gândesc la tine în fiecare zi.
I think about you every day.
La ce te gândești? Pari îngrijorat.
What are you thinking about? You look worried.
Mă gândesc serios la viitorul meu.
I'm thinking seriously about my future.
The reflexive also covers "to consider / intend to," followed by the subjunctive:
Ne gândim să ne mutăm la țară.
We're thinking of moving to the countryside.
Bare, transitive a gândi for "to reason, to have thoughts, to think in a certain way":
Trebuie să înveți să gândești pozitiv.
You have to learn to think positively.
Proiectul a fost bine gândit de la început.
The project was well thought out from the start.
The supine de gândit for "something to think about / to be considered":
Mai e mult de gândit până luăm o decizie.
There's still a lot to think about before we decide.
The imperative as advice:
Gândește-te bine înainte să semnezi.
Think it over carefully before you sign.
Common Mistakes
❌ Gândesc la tine.
Incorrect — 'think about' requires the reflexive a se gândi la.
✅ Mă gândesc la tine.
I'm thinking about you.
❌ Mă gândesc pe tine.
Incorrect — the preposition is la, not pe.
✅ Mă gândesc la tine.
I'm thinking about you.
❌ Noi gândeștem despre asta.
Incorrect — the -esc infix drops in the noi form: gândim.
✅ Ne gândim la asta.
We're thinking about it.
❌ Vreau să gândesc el mai bine.
Incorrect — the 3rd-person subjunctive is gândească, not gândesc.
✅ Vreau să gândească el mai bine.
I want him to think it over more.
❌ Gânde-te bine!
Incorrect — the imperative stem keeps the infix: gândește-te.
✅ Gândește-te bine!
Think it over carefully!
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- a crede — to believeA2 — Full conjugation of a crede (to believe, to think), a class III verb with the d→z alternation, and the indicative/subjunctive mood split after cred că vs nu cred să.
- Class IV Present: -esc VerbsA2 — How to conjugate the dominant Class IV subtype that inserts -esc (or back-vowel -ăsc) in the singular and third-person plural — the single most common present-tense pattern in Romanian.
- The -esc / -ăsc Infix (Class IV)A2 — The productive -esc/-ăsc infix that appears in most Class IV verbs — where it sits in the paradigm, why it drops in 'we' and 'you-plural', and why you should expect it by default.
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- Verbs of Thinking and Believing (a crede, a gândi, a-și aminti)B1 — How Romanian cognition verbs work — a crede, a gândi/a se gândi, a-și aminti, a uita, a ști — including the mood flip between affirmed and doubted belief.