Expressing Opinions - Penser, Croire, Trouver

In English, we often drop the word "that." We say, "I think it's raining." In French, you can never do this. You must always use the word que. This word acts like the glue for your sentence. Without it, your sentence will fall apart. The structure is very predictable. You start with your subject and verb. Then you add que. Finally, you add the rest of your thought. If the next word starts with a vowel, que becomes qu'. It's like a grammar traffic light. It tells the listener that an opinion is coming. This pattern works for almost all opinion verbs. It is consistent and reliable. Once you learn the rhythm, it becomes second nature.

1. 1Building an opinion sentence is a three-step process.
2. 2Choose your subject and conjugate the verb. For example, Je pense or Tu crois.
3. 3Add the connector que or qu'.
4. 4Add a full sentence (subject + verb) after the connector.
5. 5Example: Je pense + que + le café est bon.
6. 6Result: Je pense que le café est bon.
7. 7If you want to ask a question, you can use inversion or est-ce que.
8. 8Example: Est-ce que tu trouves que ce film est long ?

Use penser que when you have a logical opinion. It is the most common way to say "I think." Use it when you have processed information. Imagine you are in a job interview. You might say, Je pense que je suis prêt.

Use croire que for beliefs or things you aren't 100% sure about. It translates to "I believe" or "I guess." If someone asks for directions, you might say, Je crois que c'est à gauche. You aren't totally certain, but that's your best guess. It is also used for religious or deep philosophical beliefs.

Use trouver que for personal judgments. It often translates to "I find that..." or "I think that..." but with a subjective twist. Use this when ordering food. You might say, Je trouve que ce plat est trop salé. It is your personal experience of the saltiness.

Don't use trouver que for objective facts. You can't say, Je trouve que Paris est en France. That's just a fact, not an opinion!

Don't use these verbs without que if a clause follows. A common mistake is saying Je pense il est sympa. This sounds very broken to a native speaker.

Also, be careful with the negative. At the A2 level, we keep it simple. However, in very formal French, the negative often triggers the subjunctive. For now, stick to the indicative mood. Just focus on getting the que in there.

The biggest mistake is the "English influence." English speakers love to skip "that." In French, que is mandatory.

✗ Je pense c'est facile.

✓ Je pense que c'est facile.

Another mistake is confusing penser que and penser de.

Use penser que to state an opinion.

Use penser de to ask for one.

Qu'est-ce que tu penses de ce livre ? (What do you think of this book?)

Finally, watch out for the que to qu' contraction.

✗ Je crois que il vient.

✓ Je crois qu'il vient.

Yes, even native speakers mess this up when texting quickly. But in writing, it's a must!

You can also use phrases like À mon avis or Selon moi. These mean "In my opinion" or "According to me." These are great because they don't require a complex sentence structure. You just put them at the start of a sentence.

À mon avis, c'est trop cher.

However, using verbs like penser and croire makes you sound more active. It shows you are engaged in the thought process. Trouver is particularly French. Using it makes you sound much more like a local. It adds a nice layer of personal taste to your speech.