Key Facts
- Hangul: 생각하다 (saenggakada)
- Pronunciation: [생가카다]
- Meaning: to think; to think about; to consider
- Level: A1
- Stem: 생각하
- Class: 하다 type
- Objects: transitive
- Honorific polite: 생각하세요
What Does 생각하다 Mean?
- to think. Used for thinking or having an opinion: 저는 그렇게 생각해요 (I think so).
- to think about; to consider. Also means to think of someone or something: 가족을 생각하다 (to think of your family).
생각하다 is a very common verb with two main patterns. To think about someone or something, put the person or thing before it with 을/를 (N을/를 생각하다). To state an opinion, use a quoted clause ending in -다고: -다고 생각하다. Don't confuse it with 생각이 나다, a separate expression meaning 'to come to mind' or 'to remember'.
How Do You Pronounce 생각하다?
The spelling and the sound differ: 생각하다 is read [생가카다], because the ㄱ and the following ㅎ merge into the aspirated sound [ㅋ]. This change sits inside the stem, so it appears in every form: 생각해요 is read [생가캐요] and 생각했어요 is read [생가캐써요]. Some endings add their own change, as in the formal 생각합니다 [생가캄니다]. The table below gives every form.
How Do You Use 생각하다 in a Sentence?
저는 그렇게 생각해요.
I think so.
그렇게 means so, and it stands for the opinion without repeating it. The polite present 생각해요 is the usual polite way to give your view.
어제 가족을 많이 생각했어요.
I thought about my family a lot yesterday.
가족을 is the thing thought about, and 많이 means a lot. The past 생각했어요 describes thinking that went on for a while yesterday.
생각하는 시간이 필요해요.
I need time to think.
생각하는 is the present modifier, and it describes the noun 시간 (time). With 필요해요 (is needed), the thing needed, 시간, takes 이.
How Does Saenggakada Conjugation Work?
생각하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 생각해요 | ||
| Polite past | 생각했어요 | ||
| Polite future | 생각할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (guess) | 생각하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 생각합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 생각했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 생각할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 생각해 | ||
| Casual past | 생각했어 | ||
| Casual future | 생각할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 생각하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 생각하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 생각해서 | ||
| Conditional | 생각하면 | ||
| Present modifier | 생각하는 | ||
| Past modifier | 생각한 | ||
| Future modifier | 생각할 | ||
| Short negative | 생각 안 해요 | ||
| Long negative | 생각하지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 생각해요 | [생가캐요] |
| Polite past | 생각했어요 | [생가캐써요] |
| Polite future | 생각할 거예요 | [생가칼꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 생각하겠어요 | [생가카게써요] |
| Formal present | 생각합니다 | [생가캄니다] |
| Formal past | 생각했습니다 | [생가캗씀니다] |
| Formal future | 생각할 것입니다 | [생가칼꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 생각해 | [생가캐] |
| Casual past | 생각했어 | [생가캐써] |
| Casual future | 생각할 거야 | [생가칼꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 생각하고 싶어요 | [생가카고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 생각하세요 | [생가카세요] |
| Because / and then | 생각해서 | [생가캐서] |
| Conditional | 생각하면 | [생가카면] |
| Present modifier | 생각하는 | [생가카는] |
| Past modifier | 생각한 | [생가칸] |
| Future modifier | 생각할 | [생가칼] |
| Short negative | 생각 안 해요 | as written |
| Long negative | 생각하지 않아요 | [생가카지 아나요] |
Is 생각하다 Regular or Irregular?
생각하다 is a 하다 word built on the noun 생각. Like every 하다 verb, it changes 하 to 해 before any 아/어 ending: 생각해요, 생각했어요, 생각해서. The rule is on the 하다 to 해요 page. For the short negative, both 생각 안 해요 and 안 생각해요 are heard in everyday speech. The table shows 생각 안 해요, the pattern taught for most noun-plus-하다 verbs. The page on negating 하다 verbs covers the placement.
What Mistake Do Learners Make with 생각하다?
Wrong: ✗ 내일 비가 와요 생각해요
Correct: ✓ 내일 비가 올 거라고 생각해요 (I think it will rain tomorrow)
Why: Learners put a finished sentence straight in front of the verb. Korean needs a quotation ending, -다고 or -라고, to link the opinion to 생각하다.
How Is 생각하다 Different from Similar Words?
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 생각나다 | 생각나다 means something comes to mind by itself. 생각하다 is thinking on purpose, so you 생각하다 a plan but a memory 생각나다. |
| 믿다 | 믿다 is to believe or trust. 생각하다 holds an opinion without committing to belief, so use 믿다 for trust and 생각하다 for a view. |
Considering a Job Offer
Two friends discuss an offer that needs an answer. One asks about earlier consideration, while the other wants more time. The reply encourages a slower decision.
Jisu
그 제안을 생각했어요?
Geu jeaneul saenggakaesseoyo?
Have you thought about that offer?
Alex
조금 더 생각하고 싶어요.
Jogeum deo saenggakago sipeoyo.
I’d like to think a little more.
Jisu
그럼 천천히 생각해요.
Geureom cheoncheonhi saenggakaeyo.
Then take your time to think it over.
생각했어요 asks about thought already given to the offer. 생각하고 싶어요 expresses a wish to keep considering it, and 천천히 means “slowly” or “without rushing”. The offer remains understood in the replies, so repeating 제안을 is unnecessary. Asking for time to think is not itself an acceptance or a refusal.
Phrases for Opinions and Careful Thought
그렇게 생각하다 means to think that way. 그렇게 points back to a view already expressed. The existing example 저는 그렇게 생각해요 can therefore agree with an opinion without repeating the whole statement. It does not mean the speaker has newly remembered something.
다시 생각하다 means to think again or reconsider. 다시 asks for another look at the idea; it does not guarantee a changed opinion. 잘 생각하다, in a request, asks someone to think carefully. Here 잘 concerns the care given to the thought, rather than intelligence or academic ability.
생각이 나다 describes something coming to mind. A forgotten name can return without a deliberate effort, while 생각하다 names the act of considering or thinking about something. The noun 생각 appears in both, but the verbs create different sentence structures.
Where Will You Hear 생각하다?
In conversations about choices, 어떻게 생각해요 asks what someone thinks. The person or proposal under discussion may take 을/를. This makes the question more specific than simply asking whether the other person has any thoughts.
In meetings and interviews, 생각합니다 often closes an opinion. The formal ending suits that setting, but it does not make the opinion a proven fact. A speaker can use the same verb while expressing confidence, doubt or a tentative judgment; the surrounding words carry those differences.
In a drama, 가족을 생각하다 can concern remembering family, worrying about them or taking their needs into account. The object identifies who is on the person’s mind. The scene supplies whether the thought is affectionate, practical or painful.
An Opinion Needs a Clause Ending
The existing rain example uses 올 거라고 before 생각해요. 거라고 belongs to the future expression; it connects the predicted rain to the speaker’s opinion. A complete polite sentence ending in 요 cannot simply be placed before 생각해요 to do the same job.
The quotation ending depends on the clause you attach. The forms -다고 and -라고 are useful labels, but they are not freely interchangeable endings for every word. Start by keeping the complete rain example together, then use the indirect quotation guide to learn the wider patterns.
생각하는 시간 uses the present modifier 하는, while 생각한 uses the past modifier 한. The noun 생각 stays intact in both. The aspirated sound inside 생각하다 also does not mean that a new ㅋ is written in the verb: preserve the spelling 생각하 when adding these endings.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful connection |
|---|---|---|
| 의견 | opinion | A view someone can state in a discussion. |
| 고민 | worry; a problem to ponder | Often involves a difficult choice, rather than any thought. |
| 결정 | decision | The outcome that may follow consideration. |
| 제안 | proposal; suggestion | Something another person asks you to consider. |
The office meeting vocabulary lesson introduces the discussion words that often accompany giving an opinion.
Mini Drill: Thought and Opinion
- Give the polite past of 생각하다.
- Complete the object marker: 가족____ 생각하다.
- Give the present modifier before 시간.
- Complete the future rain opinion: 내일 비가 ____ 생각해요.
Show drill answers
- 생각했어요.
- 가족을 생각하다.
- 생각하는 시간.
- 올 거라고 생각해요. The prediction needs a quotation ending.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 다시 생각하다 promise a different final opinion?
- Which expression describes something coming to mind by itself?
- Does the formal ending in 생각합니다 make an opinion a fact?
Show answers
- No. It means reconsidering, with no guaranteed change of mind.
- 생각이 나다.
- No. The ending changes the speech style, not the evidence for the claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Give an Opinion with 생각하다?
Use a quoted clause ending in -다고 or -라고 before 생각하다. For example, 내일 비가 올 거라고 생각해요 means 'I think it will rain tomorrow'.
How Is 생각하다 Pronounced?
It is read [생가카다]. The ㄱ and the following ㅎ merge into the aspirated sound [ㅋ].
What Object Does 생각하다 Take?
The person or thing you think about takes 을/를, as in 가족을 생각하다 (to think of your family).
Is 생각이 나다 the Same as 생각하다?
No. 생각이 나다 means something comes to mind or you remember it, while 생각하다 is thinking on purpose.
Which Words Are Related to 생각하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Read 믿다 for believing, 기억하다 for remembering, and 이해하다 for understanding. 궁금하다 covers curiosity. The Korean verb conjugator checks any form of 생각하다; the whole Korean verb dictionary lists the other entries, and the class rule is on the 하다 to 해요 page.