Breakdown of No pienso volver al bar ese.
no
no / not
al
to the (m)
volver
to return
el bar
the bar
ese
that (m.sg., also esa, esos, esas, eso)
pensar
to plan to, to intend (+ infinitive)
Questions & Answers about No pienso volver al bar ese.
Why does pienso mean "intend" here instead of "think"?
When pensar is followed directly by an infinitive like volver, it translates to "to intend to" or "to plan to" do something. If you wanted to express "I don't think I will go back", you would use a different structure like no creo que vuelva.
How forceful is no pienso compared to no quiero?
Using no pienso plus an infinitive is a strong, categorical refusal. While no quiero volver simply states "I don't want to go back", no pienso volver sounds much closer to "I have absolutely no intention of going back" or "I am not going back, period."
Why is it al bar ese instead of a ese bar?
Placing the demonstrative word (ese) after the noun is a common colloquial feature in spoken Spanish. It almost always adds a dismissive, derogatory, or annoyed tone. By saying bar ese, the speaker is showing they have a negative opinion of that particular bar.
Why is the definite article used in al (a + el) if we are already pointing out the bar with ese?
When you move a demonstrative like ese after the noun for that dismissive tone, the noun cannot stand alone; it must take a definite article (el, la, los, las) in front of it. Therefore, a ese bar transforms into a + el bar ese, which correctly contracts to al bar ese.
Learn No pienso volver al bar ese and more in Spanish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free