思う vs 考える – What is the Difference Between Omou and Kangaeru?

There are two Japanese words for thinking. They are 思おもう and 考かんがえる. In English when you use the word think it can mean a number of things. For example that you are thinking about something or that you think something is going to happen. In Japanese, though these concepts are treated separately. Let’s take a look

The Meaning of 思う

思う means to have an opinion, belief, or thought about something. So for example if I was waiting for mom to come home I could say:

We can also use 思う to express opinions about things:

You can even use 思う to express intentions:

The Meaning of 考える

考える is a verb expressing the concept of considering, pondering, imagining or doing some active cognitive activity.

You may also use it when you want to talk about trying to make a decision or considering something.

Resources

• 考える – Weblio 
• 思う – Weblio