sore wa takasugiru to omoimasu.

I think that is too expensive.

Breakdown of sore wa takasugiru to omoimasu.

• は: topic particle
• 高たかい: expensive
• と: quotative particle
• 思おもう: to think
• 〜すぎる: to be too …
• それ: them

Questions & Answers about sore wa takasugiru to omoimasu.

Why is は used after それ? What does それは do in this sentence?

は is the topic marker.

• それ = that (thing)
• それは = as for that / that one, (speaking about it…)

So the sentence structure is:

• それは – as for that (price/thing)
• 高すぎる – is too expensive
• と思います – I think

In English we usually say "That is too expensive, I think."
In Japanese you first set それ as the topic with は, and then say what you think about it.

You could drop それは if it’s very clear from context what you’re talking about, and just say 高すぎると思います。

What is the と doing in 高すぎると 思います? Isn’t と usually “and”?

In this sentence, と is not the “and” meaning.
Here it is the quotative particle: it marks what is being thought or said.

Think of it as:

• 「高すぎる」と 思います。
  → I think *“it’s too expensive”*

So the structure is:

1. A clause you think/say/feel, in plain form: 高すぎる
2. と to mark that clause as a “quote”
3. A verb like 思う (to think), 言う (to say), 感じる (to feel), etc.

English doesn’t show this “quotation marker” the same way, but Japanese does, even if there are no quotation marks written.

Why is it 思います and not just 思う?

思う is the plain (dictionary) form.
思います is the polite -ます form.

• 高すぎると思います。 – polite
• 高すぎると思う。 – casual

Use 思います when:

• speaking to strangers, teachers, coworkers, customers, etc.
  Use 思う with:
• close friends, family, people below you in a hierarchy.

Grammatically, both mean “(I) think”; the difference is level of politeness.

What exactly does 思います add? Could I just say それは高すぎます?

You can say それは高すぎます, and it means:

• それは高すぎます。 – That is too expensive. (stated as a fact)

Adding と思います changes the nuance:

• それは高すぎると思います。 – I think that is too expensive.

In Japanese, using ～と思います is a politer, softer way of giving your opinion.
It sounds less direct and less confrontational, especially about price, taste, or disagreement.

So:

• それは高すぎます。 – more direct, sounds like stating a fact.
• それは高すぎると思います。 – softer, sounds like your personal opinion.

Why is it 高すぎる and not 高いすぎる?

高い is an い-adjective: high / expensive.
When you attach すぎる (“to be too …”) to an い-adjective, you:

1. Drop the final い
2. Add すぎる

So:

• 高い → 高すぎる (too expensive / too high)
• おいしい → おいしすぎる (too delicious)
• 早い → 早すぎる (too early / too fast)

That’s why it’s 高すぎる, not 高いすぎる.

What does すぎる actually mean, and how does it work with other words?

すぎる means “to be too (much)” or “to overdo”.
It attaches to adjectives and verbs.

1. With い-adjectives: drop い + すぎる

   • 高い → 高すぎる (too expensive)
   • 小さい → 小さすぎる (too small)

2. With な-adjectives: stem + すぎる

   • 便利だ → 便利すぎる (too convenient / overly convenient)
   • 静かだ → 静かすぎる (too quiet)

3. With verbs: ます-stem

   • すぎる
   • 食べます → 食べすぎる (to eat too much)
   • 飲みます → 飲みすぎる (to drink too much)

In your sentence, 高すぎる literally means “to be too high/expensive”.

Why is it 高すぎると思います and not 高すぎますと思います?

Inside the 「…と思います」 pattern, the part before と must be in plain form, not polite ます form.

So the pattern is:

• [plain form] + と + 思います

Examples:

• 高い と 思います。(I think it’s expensive.)
• 高すぎる と 思います。(I think it’s too expensive.)
• 行く と 思います。(I think (they) will go.)
• 便利だ と 思います。(I think it’s convenient.)

高すぎますと思います is ungrammatical because 高すぎます is polite form, not plain.

Where is the “I” in “I think”? Why isn’t 私 in the sentence?

Japanese often omits the subject when it’s clear from context.

Here, 思います (I think) naturally implies “I” as the subject in most contexts, so you don’t need to say 私.

Full version would be:

• 私はそれは高すぎると思います。

But:

• 私は is often dropped (it’s obvious you are talking about your own opinion).
• Also, having both 私は and それは with は feels heavy, so normally you might just say:
  
  • それは高すぎると思います。
  • or even just 高すぎると思います。 if “that” is already clear.

Can I say だと思います here? Like それは高すぎるだと思います?

No, それは高すぎるだと思います is incorrect.

With adjectives:

• い-adjectives (like 高い / 高すぎる) do not take だ before と思います.

  • Correct: 高すぎると思います。
  • Incorrect: 高すぎるだと思います。

• な-adjectives and nouns do usually take だ in plain form:

  • 便利だと思います。(I think it’s convenient.)
  • 先生だと思います。(I think (he/she) is a teacher.)

So:

• い-adjective
  • と思います → 高いと思います / 高すぎると思います
• な-adjective / noun
  • だと思います → 静かだと思います / 学生だと思います

What’s the difference between 高いと思います and 高すぎると思います?

• 高いと思います。 – I think it’s expensive.
• 高すぎると思います。 – I think it’s *too expensive.*

高い just states that the price is on the high side.
高すぎる adds the meaning “excessively / more than acceptable / beyond what it should be”.

So 高すぎると思います is stronger criticism of the price than 高いと思います.

Could I use これ or あれ instead of それ? What’s the difference?

Yes, grammatically you can, but the nuance changes:

• これ – this (near the speaker)
• それ – that (near the listener, or something just mentioned)
• あれ – that (over there, far from both, or emotionally distant)

For example, talking to a shop clerk while pointing at an item near them:

• それは高すぎると思います。
  → I think that (one near you) is too expensive.

If the item is in your hand, near you, you’d more naturally say:

• これは高すぎると思います。

If it’s something far away or previously mentioned and now “mentally distant”:

• あれは高すぎると思います。

Is 思います always “I think”? Can it mean “I guess” or “I believe” too?

Yes, 思います covers several English nuances depending on context and tone:

• I think …
• I believe …
• I suppose …
• I guess …

Japanese doesn’t strictly separate these as English does. 思う / 思います is a general verb for having an opinion or mental judgment.

So それは高すぎると思います could be translated as any of:

• I think that’s too expensive.
• I believe that’s too expensive.
• I’d say that’s too expensive.

Can I put と思います at the beginning, like 思います、それは高すぎると?

No, that’s not natural Japanese word order.

The usual pattern is:

1. The clause you think (plain form)
2. と
3. 思います

So: それは高すぎると思います。

You don’t split it like English “I think that, it’s too expensive.”
You also don’t normally front 思います by itself. Keep と思います together at the end.