Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
What Do You Think in Spanish: ¿Qué Piensas?
¿Qué Piensas? · phrase · keh pee-EHN-sahs
What do you think in Spanish can be expressed as ¿qué piensas? (what do you think), ¿qué opinas? (what's your opinion), or ¿qué te parece? (how does it seem to you). Each phrase carries a slightly different nuance: piensas asks about thoughts, opinas asks for a formal opinion, and te parece asks for a personal impression.
Say keh pee-EHN-sahs for the informal version, or keh oh-PEE-nahs for the opinion variant.
¿Qué piensas del nuevo restaurante que abrieron?
What do you think of the new restaurant that opened?
What Do You Think in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for what do you think, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¿qué piensas? | what do you think | keh pee-EHN-sahs | Default, widely understood |
| ¿qué opinas? | what do you think | what's your opinion | |
| ¿qué te parece? | what do you think | how does it seem to you |
How Native Speakers Use ¿Qué Piensas?
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Asking for an opinion casually
¿Qué piensas? ¿Compramos el azul o el rojo?
What do you think? Should we buy the blue one or the red one?
¿Qué piensas? is the go-to casual phrase for soliciting thoughts.
Seeking a more formal opinion
¿Qué opina usted sobre la propuesta del gobierno?
What do you think about the government's proposal?
¿Qué opina? with usted is appropriate for formal or professional settings.
Asking for an impression
¿Qué te parece si vamos al cine esta noche?
What do you think about going to the movies tonight?
¿Qué te parece? is especially natural when suggesting plans.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using ¿Qué Piensas?
Forgetting the stem change in piensas
Incorrect: ¿Qué pensas de mi idea?
Correct: ¿Qué piensas de mi idea?
Pensar has an e-to-ie stem change in the present tense for all forms except nosotros and vosotros. The correct tú form is piensas, not pensas.
Using creer when asking for opinions
Incorrect: ¿Qué crees del restaurante nuevo?
Correct: ¿Qué piensas del restaurante nuevo?
Creer means to believe, and ¿qué crees? sounds like 'what do you believe?' which is more about factual belief than opinion. For opinions, pensar or opinar is more natural.
Lock in What Do You Think Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See ¿Qué Piensas? used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using ¿qué piensas? in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear ¿Qué piensas del nuevo restaurante que abrieron? while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
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Common Questions About What Do You Think in Spanish
- How do you say what do you think in Spanish?
- The three most common translations are ¿qué piensas? (what do you think?), ¿qué opinas? (what's your opinion?), and ¿qué te parece? (how does it seem to you?). All three work in everyday conversation.
- What is the difference between ¿qué piensas? and ¿qué te parece?
- ¿Qué piensas? directly asks what someone thinks about a topic or situation. ¿Qué te parece? asks how something seems or strikes them, and is especially common when suggesting plans or presenting options for someone to react to.
- How do I make 'what do you think' formal?
- Switch from tú to usted forms: ¿qué piensa usted? or ¿qué opina usted? or ¿qué le parece? The le replaces te when addressing someone formally with usted.