Learn Italian: Credo di no. - I don't think so.

Credo di no.

I don't think so.

Breakdown of Credo di no.

of, from

credere

to believe

Elon.io is an online learning platform

We have an entire course teaching Italian grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Italian now

Questions & Answers about Credo di no.

Since the current lesson is about sapere (to know), could I use it here to say 'I don't know' instead of 'I don't think so'?

You could say non lo so (I don't know it), but that means you have absolutely no idea about a fact. Credo di no means 'I don't think so'—you are offering an opinion or an educated guess. It is important not to mix up knowing facts (sapere) with believing or guessing (credere).

What does the di do in this sentence? Does it mean 'of'?

Yes, literally this translates to 'I believe of no'. In Italian, when you want to agree or disagree with an idea using verbs like credere (to believe/think) or sperare (to hope), you follow them with di sì (yes) or di no (no). This structure replaces the English 'think so' or 'hope so'.

Could I just say non credo instead to mean 'I don't think'?

Yes, you can absolutely say non credo. Both non credo and credo di no are completely natural and common ways to express 'I don't think so' in daily Italian conversation.

Why is 'I think' translated with a form of credere (to believe) instead of pensare (to think)?