Mă gândesc la răspuns.

Mă is the unstressed form of me. In this sentence, it is part of the reflexive verb a se gândi, which means to think in the sense of to reflect / to think about.

So mă gândesc literally looks like I think myself, but in natural English it simply means I think or I am thinking.

In Romanian, the usual verb for to think about something is a se gândi la ceva.

So Romanian expresses this idea with a reflexive structure:

• mă gândesc = I think / I am thinking
• te gândești = you think / are thinking
• se gândește = he/she thinks / is thinking

This is just how the verb is normally used. English does not use a reflexive form here, but Romanian does.

Gândi is the infinitive, meaning to think.
Gândesc is the 1st person singular present tense form: I think.

For a se gândi, the present tense goes like this:

• eu mă gândesc = I think / I am thinking
• tu te gândești = you think / are thinking
• el/ea se gândește = he/she thinks / is thinking
• noi ne gândim = we think / are thinking
• voi vă gândiți = you all think / are thinking
• ei/ele se gândesc = they think / are thinking

Because the verb pattern is a se gândi la = to think about.

So:

• mă gândesc la tine = I’m thinking about you
• mă gândesc la problemă = I’m thinking about the problem
• mă gândesc la răspuns = I’m thinking about the answer

In English, we often use about, but Romanian normally uses la after this verb.

Răspuns by itself means answer. Without an article, it can sound somewhat general or context-dependent.

Depending on the situation, Romanian might also use:

• la un răspuns = about an answer
• la răspuns = about the answer in some contexts, especially after a preposition
• la răspunsul = about the answer (more explicitly definite)

Romanian article usage does not always match English perfectly. In many learning contexts, la răspuns can be understood naturally if the answer is already known from context.

It can mean either:

• I think about the answer
• I am thinking about the answer

Romanian present tense often covers both English present simple and present continuous. Context tells you which meaning is intended.

No, that would sound incorrect in standard Romanian for this meaning.

You need the reflexive pronoun:

• Mă gândesc la răspuns.

Without mă, the verb changes meaning or becomes unnatural here. For thinking about something, Romanian normally uses the reflexive pattern a se gândi la.

It usually comes before the conjugated verb:

• Mă gândesc la răspuns.
• Te gândești la asta?
• Se gândește la mine.

This is the normal position for unstressed reflexive pronouns in simple present-tense sentences.

A rough pronunciation is:

gân-desc

A few useful points:

• â is a central vowel, somewhat like a neutral uh sound, but tighter and deeper in the mouth.
• ă in mă is the Romanian schwa, like the a in English sofa.
• g in gândesc is a hard g, like in go.

A rough English-style approximation would be: muh gun-DESK la ruhs-PUNS

That is only approximate, but it may help at first.

The dictionary form is a se gândi.

Romanian verbs are normally listed with a + infinitive:

• a face = to do / to make
• a merge = to go
• a se gândi = to think

Because this verb is reflexive, dictionaries usually include se as part of the base form.

No. They are different verbs.

• a se gândi la = to think about, to reflect on
• a crede = to believe, to think in the sense of to have an opinion

Compare:

• Mă gândesc la răspuns. = I’m thinking about the answer.
• Cred că ai dreptate. = I think / believe that you are right.

So if you mean considering something mentally, a se gândi la is the right choice.

Sometimes, yes, depending on context. But the safest translation is:

• I’m thinking about the answer.

English think of can sometimes mean:

• remember
• invent
• imagine

Romanian a se gândi la most directly means to think about or to have in mind. So about is usually the clearest translation for learners.

Yes, Romanian word order is somewhat flexible, though Mă gândesc la răspuns is the most neutral order.

You may also hear different orders for emphasis, for example:

• La răspuns mă gândesc. = It’s the answer I’m thinking about.

But as a learner, the standard neutral pattern is best:

• Mă gândesc la răspuns.