# FR: I'm thinking of doing something



## not too far away

Hello,

If I want to say , "Im thinking of doing something" in French, would there be a "à" between the verbs penser and faire?

As in Je pense à faire quelquechose.

My sentence is
Je pense à reprendre mes études cette année

My dictionary uses à for sentences such as mine in which penser is followed by à before the next verb. BUT I found several sentences on google.fr where the à is omitted and sometimes not.

Examples
je pense me faire blonde et noir carbeau 
je pense devoir faire euthaniser mon chien
je pense faire un déni de grosesse
je pense seriusement à faire de la musique
je pense à faire une lipposuccion

Can somebody tell me why is this so?

Thank you in advancepense


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## Dontstepback

That's a tough one. 

I'll try :

"Je pense *à* faire..."  est un projet : _Je pense à reprendre mes études cette année, je pense à faire une liposuccion._
"je pense faire" = Je pense que je suis en train de faire : j_e pense faire un déni de grossesse._


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## hampton.mc

That's a tough one all right! Sorry Dontstepback but although I can't really explain it I
 have counter examples to your theory:
Je pense faire un rôti pour ce soir
Je pense faire le tour du monde l'année prochaine.
Je pense sortir vendredi soir
Je pense que je vais accepter sa proposition en mariage...

Je sais la critique est aisée mais l'art est difficile 

Sorry "not too far away" for not being able to explain the rule. I am sure somebody else will.
Just an idea, if you can use "il faut que" at the start of the sentence then you would use "penser à". But it's not even a rule just an intuition.


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## xaipete

If I'm interpreting hampton.mc's examples correctly, I think there's a difference in probability.  _Je pense à_ doesn't exclude other possibilities; _je pense_ does.
_Je pense à faire un rôti pour ce soir. _I'm thinking about doing a roast tonight.    But then again, maybe fish would be nice.  (vs.) _Je pense faire un rôti pour ce soir._ I think I'll do a roast tonight.  I'll go pull it out of the freezer right away.
_Je pense à accepter sa proposition en mariage._ I'm thinking of accepting his proposal.    Unless, of course, someone more exciting comes along.  Then again, maybe I should stay single.  (vs.)  _Je pense accepter sa proposition en mariage._ I think I'm going to accept his proposal.   I've thought long and hard, and yes, I'm ready to spend my life with him.


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## Guill

I think xaipete got it.

If you say "Je pense regarder la télé ce soir", it means that you're pretty sure that you will watch TV, even though you know you can do something else.
So if you say "Je pense à reprendre mes études", it means that you're in March or April, you're about to look into the question of going back to school... If you say "Je pense reprendre mes études", you've studied the question and have almost made jour choice : you want to go back to school.


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## hampton.mc

xaipete said:


> If I'm interpreting hampton.mc's examples correctly, I think there's a difference in probability.  _Je pense à_ doesn't exclude other possibilities; _je pense_ does.
> _Je pense à faire un rôti pour ce soir. _I'm thinking about doing a roast tonight.    But then again, maybe fish would be nice.  (vs.) _Je pense faire un rôti pour ce soir._ I think I'll do a roast tonight.  I'll go pull it out of the freezer right away.
> _Je pense à accepter sa proposition en mariage._ I'm thinking of accepting his proposal.    Unless, of course, someone more exciting comes along.  Then again, maybe I should stay single.  (vs.)  _Je pense accepter sa proposition en mariage._ I think I'm going to accept his proposal.   I've thought long and hard, and yes, I'm ready to spend my life with him.



It's the other way round,:
"Je pense à faire un rôti pour ce soir" you wouldnt say that you would say:
"*Il faut que* je pense à faire le rôti pour ce soir" because otherwise the meat will go off.
If you say:
"Je pense faire un rôti." it means "But then again, maybe fish would be nice."
It's "penser faire" which doesn't exclude other possibilities.
"Je pense accepter sa proposition en mariage" meaning "I am thinking of saying 'yes' but I am not forced to say 'yes'. 
Say that you have to come to France but your passport validity date has expired. You would say:
"*Il faut que* je pense à refaire mon passeport" otherwise I'll be stuck at the airport.
Tricky....


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## Mauricet

I concur with xaipete and Guill. _Je pense faire X_ (some future action) announces an intention to do X, unless an unexpected obstacle prevents me to do it. _Je pense à faire X_ says I think X is an option I have some preference for, a synonym would be _J'envisage de faire X._ Obviously there is no certainty in any of these cases.

Very different are the forms _Il faut que je pense à faire X_ (I must not forget to), or _Je pense faire un déni de grossesse_ which doesn't imply a future action ("I think I am doing ...").


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## hampton.mc

I have found some literal translations:
Penser faire : to expect to do
Penser à faire : to remember to do
I hope it helps.


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## Mauricet

hampton.mc said:


> I have found some literal translations:
> Penser faire : to expect to do
> Penser à faire : to remember to do


OK for _Il faut que je pense à faire_ : I must remember to do. Not for _Je pense à reprendre mes études cette année_, obviously.


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## Dontstepback

Well, it IS tricky but that gives a really nice thread. 
Here are my second thoughts after reading your contributions. 
I feel closer to Guill's explanation. 
Je pense faire : is either a statement about a present situation :"je pense faire un déni de grossesse" or the expression of a near future " je pense faire un rôti ce soir". 
Je pense à faire une liposuccion, Je pense à reprendre mes études is not so near a project. It is less sure.

What strikes me when reading the examples is that I have no problem omitting "à" for some them :
Je pense (à ) me faire teindre en brune
Je pense ( à ) faire une liposuccion
Depending on the degree of certainty
whereas other sentences without "à" don't sound right if I add it.

E.g 1 ) Je pense *à* faire un rôti _pour ce soir_. 
      (2 ) Je pense *à *accepter sa proposition de mariage.

These sentences with "à" are not valid for me because they are already in the realm of reality ( everything is set for it ).

Besides I think we should not mix the expression "Il faut que je pense à..." which makes all the sentences work. I don't know if you feel the same, Hampton ? For my first example because n°2 wouldn't make any sense at all...

Je pense que ces nuances sont dues à la valeur de visée de "à" comme en anglais "to", qui indiquent généralement un projet.


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## hampton.mc

Dontstepback said:


> Well, it IS tricky but that gives a really nice thread.
> Here are my second thoughts after reading your contributions.
> I feel closer to Guill's explanation.
> Je pense faire : is either a statement about a present situation :"je pense faire un déni de grossesse" or the expression of a near future " je pense faire un rôti ce soir".
> Je pense à faire une liposuccion, Je pense à reprendre mes études is not so near a project. It is less sure.
> 
> What strikes me when reading the examples is that I have no problem omitting "à" for some them :
> Je pense (à ) me faire teindre en brune
> Je pense ( à ) faire une liposuccion
> Depending on the degree of certainty
> whereas other sentences without "à" don't sound right if I add it.
> 
> E.g 1 ) Je pense *à* faire un rôti _pour ce soir_.
> (2 ) Je pense *à *accepter sa proposition de mariage.
> 
> These sentences with "à" are not valid for me because they are already in the realm of reality ( everything is set for it ).
> 
> Besides I think we should not mix the expression "Il faut que je pense à..." which makes all the sentences work. I don't know if you feel the same, Hampton ? For my first example because n°2 wouldn't make any sense at all...
> 
> Je pense que ces nuances sont dues à la valeur de visée de "à" comme en anglais "to", qui indiquent généralement un projet.



I must admit that I don't know what to think anymore 
It's so obvious to use and so hard to explain...
Je pense faire quelques recherches sur le sujet...
Il faut que je pense à faire quelques recherches sur le sujet...


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## garoto36

Anyone has more insights about this?


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## Dontstepback

I don't know. Do you have any linguistic material to work on?


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## Moon Palace

To me, _je pense à sa proposition de mariage / je pense à reprendre mes études_ means _I am considering / pondering over something_, which might take place in the long run, but it is the idea of _seriously thinking about something. 
_On the other hand, _je pense accepter sa proposition de mariage / je pense reprendre mes études, _as has been said above, is really something that I have already made up my mind about, it is very close to _I am going to ... / I intend to.. _


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## OLN

There's been plenty of insights so far. I like Mauricet's summary. 

Je pense faire un voyage cet hiver : I intend to, I think I'll
Je pense faire une erreur / Je pense que je fais un erreur : I'm afraid I'm, I believe I'm, I think I'm wrong
Je pense *à* faire des études l'an prochain (j'y réfléchis) : I'm seriously thinking about, I'm still pondering (I would not use "penser à")
Il faut que je pense *à* fermer la porte à clé : I must remember to lock the door


Mauricet said:


> I concur with xaipete and Guill. _Je pense faire X_ (some future action) announces an intention to do X, unless an unexpected obstacle prevents me to do it. _Je pense à faire X_ says I think X is an option I have some preference for, a synonym would be _J'envisage de faire X._ Obviously there is no certainty in any of these cases.
> 
> Very different are the forms _Il faut que je pense à faire X_ (I must not forget to), or _Je pense faire un déni de grossesse_ which doesn't imply a future action ("I think I am doing ...").


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## benoitg

Quatre ans plus tard...


Dontstepback said:


> "Je pense *à* faire..."  est un projet : _Je pense à reprendre mes études cette année, je pense à faire une liposuccion._
> "je pense faire" = Je pense que je suis en train de faire : j_e pense faire un déni de grossesse._


J'ai bien lu les autres postes, et il me semble qu'il y a deux oppositions :

D'une part, l'opposition projet/opinion :
1) je pense à faire de la musique (j'en ai le projet)
2) je pense faire de la musique (on me dit que je ne suis pas musicien, que ce que je fais c'est juste du bruit, mais mon opinion, c'est que c'est bien de la musique et qu'elle n'est pas du goût de tout le monde)

Et d'autre part, l'opposition intention ferme/projet vague :
1) je pense manger une pizza ce soir (sauf changement de dernière minute, mais c'est peu probable)
2) je pense à manger une pizza ce soir (je suis ouvert à d'autres suggestions)

Cela dit, la deuxième opposition me semble moins pertinente.


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## Chimel

Bonjour Benoitg et bienvenue !

Votre première contribution sur ce forum me semble très pertinente: c'est un excellent résumé de la discussion et c'est comme ça que je ressens les choses aussi (y compris pour la moins grande pertinence de la seconde opposition: je ne suis pas sûr que la différence _je pense reprendre des études/je pense à reprendre des études_ corresponde toujours à une intention plus ou moins ferme, on utilise souvent l'un pour l'autre selon les préférences stylistiques de chacun).


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## AmaryllisBunny

The tense remains the same in English, but the aspect changes.

Je pense + infinitif = I think I + conjugated verb :: will + partial infinitive/I'm going + full infinitive  ...
E.g.:
Je pense faire mes devoirs = I think I will do my homework
Je pense avoir tort = I think I am wrong
Je pense tomber malade = I think I am getting sick

Je pense à + infinitif = I [am] thinking about ...
E.g.:
Je pense à acheter une maison = I am thinking about buying a house

As Chimel stated, sometimes the lines blur between the two (even in English).


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