I think, therefore I am

phrase

I am able to think, therefore I exist; a proof of existence based on the fact that someone capable of any form of thought necessarily exists.

OriginFrench je pense, donc je suis ← Latin cōgitō, ergō sum →
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Meanings

phrase

alternative I think; therefore, I am · alternative I think; therefore I am · alternative I think therefore I am

  1. human sciencesI am able to think, therefore I exist; a proof of existence based on the fact that someone capable of any form of thought necessarily exists.

Origin

  1. Latincōgitō, ergō sum
  2. Frenchje pense, donc je suis
  3. EnglishI think, therefore I am

Calque of French je pense, donc je suis or perhaps of Latin cōgitō, ergō sum. First written in French by René Descartes, a 17th century French philosopher, in Discourse on the Method (1637) as je pense donc je suis, which he later expressed in Latin in Principles of Philosophy (1644).

More words from French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic أُفَكِّر، إِذَن أَنَا مَوْجُود, أُفَكِّر، إِذَن أُوجَد
  • أُفَكِّر، إِذَن أَنَا مَوْجُود (ʔufakkir, ʔiḏan ʔanā mawjūd)philosophical proof of existence
  • أُفَكِّر، إِذَن أُوجَد (ʔufakkir, ʔiḏan ʔūjad)philosophical proof of existence
Catalan penso, llavors existeixo
  • penso, llavors existeixophilosophical proof of existence
Chinese Cantonese 我思故我在
  • 我思故我在 (ngo⁵ si¹ gu³ ngo⁵ zoi⁶)philosophical proof of existence
Chinese Mandarin 我思故我在
  • 我思故我在 (wǒ sī gù wǒ zài)philosophical proof of existence
Czech myslím, tedy jsem
  • myslím, tedy jsemphilosophical proof of existence
Danish jeg tænker, derfor er jeg
  • jeg tænker, derfor er jegphilosophical proof of existence
Dutch ik denk, dus ik ben
  • ik denk, dus ik benphilosophical proof of existence
Esperanto mi pensas tial mi estas
  • mi pensas tial mi estasphilosophical proof of existence
Estonian mõtlen, järelikult olen
  • mõtlen, järelikult olenphilosophical proof of existence
Finnish ajattelen, siis olen
  • ajattelen, siis olenphilosophical proof of existence
French je pense, donc je suis
  • je pense, donc je suisphilosophical proof of existence
German ich denke, also bin ich
  • ich denke, also bin ichphilosophical proof of existence
Greek σκέπτομαι, άρα υπάρχω
  • σκέπτομαι, άρα υπάρχω (sképtomai, ára ypárcho)philosophical proof of existence
Hebrew אני חושב משמע אני קיים
  • אני חושב משמע אני קיים (aní ḥoshév, mashmá' aní qayám)philosophical proof of existence
Hindi मैं सोचता हूँ इसलिए मैं हूँ, मैं सोचती हूँ इसलिए मैं हूँ
  • मैं सोचता हूँ इसलिए मैं हूँ (ma͠i soctā hū̃ islie ma͠i hū̃)philosophical proof of existence
  • मैं सोचती हूँ इसलिए मैं हूँ (ma͠i soctī hū̃ islie ma͠i hū̃)philosophical proof of existence
Hungarian gondolkodom, tehát vagyok
  • gondolkodom, tehát vagyokphilosophical proof of existence
Icelandic ég hugsa, þess vegna er ég
  • ég hugsa, þess vegna er égphilosophical proof of existence
Indonesian saya berpikir, maka saya ada
  • saya berpikir, maka saya adaphilosophical proof of existence
Italian penso dunque sono
  • penso dunque sonophilosophical proof of existence
Japanese 我思う、故に我在り
  • 我思う、故に我在り (ware omou, yue ni ware ari)philosophical proof of existence
Korean 생각한다 고로 존재한다
  • 생각한다 고로 존재한다 (saenggakhanda goro jonjaehanda)philosophical proof of existence
Latin cōgitō, ergō sum
  • cōgitō, ergō sumphilosophical proof of existence
Lithuanian mąstau, vadinasi, esu
  • mąstau, vadinasi, esuphilosophical proof of existence
Norwegian Bokmål jeg tenker, derfor er jeg
  • jeg tenker, derfor er jegphilosophical proof of existence
Polish myślę, więc jestem
  • myślę, więc jestemphilosophical proof of existence
Portuguese penso, logo existo
  • penso, logo existophilosophical proof of existence
Romanian cuget, deci exist
  • cuget, deci existphilosophical proof of existence
Russian мы́слю, сле́довательно, существу́ю, я мы́слю, сле́довательно, я есмь
  • мы́слю, сле́довательно, существу́ю (mýslju, slédovatelʹno, suščestvúju)philosophical proof of existence
  • я мы́слю, сле́довательно, я есмь (ja mýslju, slédovatelʹno, ja jesmʹ)philosophical proof of existence
Slovak myslím, teda som
  • myslím, teda somphilosophical proof of existence
Spanish pienso, luego existo
  • pienso, luego existophilosophical proof of existence
Swedish jag tänker, alltså finns jag
  • jag tänker, alltså finns jagphilosophical proof of existence
Tagalog naiisip ko, samakatuwid ako ay iyon
  • naiisip ko, samakatuwid ako ay iyonphilosophical proof of existence
Thai ฉันคิดว่าฉันเป็นดังนั้น
  • ฉันคิดว่าฉันเป็นดังนั้นphilosophical proof of existence
Turkish düşünüyorum, öyleyse varım
  • düşünüyorum, öyleyse varımphilosophical proof of existence
Ukrainian мислю, отже існую, я ми́слю, о́тже я є́сьм
  • мислю, отже існую (myslju, otže isnuju)philosophical proof of existence
  • я ми́слю, о́тже я є́сьм (ja mýslju, ótže ja jésʹm)philosophical proof of existence
Urdu میں سوچتا ہوں اسلئے میں ہوں, میں سوچتی ہوں اسلئے میں ہوں
  • میں سوچتا ہوں اسلئے میں ہوں (ma͠i soctā hū̃ islie ma͠i hū̃)philosophical proof of existence
  • میں سوچتی ہوں اسلئے میں ہوں (ma͠i soctī hū̃ islie ma͠i hū̃)philosophical proof of existence
Vietnamese tôi tư duy, nên tôi tồn tại
  • tôi tư duy, nên tôi tồn tạiphilosophical proof of existence
Cite this entry
APA

I think, therefore I am. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/I%20think%2C%20therefore%20I%20am

MLA

“I think, therefore I am.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/I%20think%2C%20therefore%20I%20am. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “I think, therefore I am,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/I%20think%2C%20therefore%20I%20am.

Source: I think, therefore I am on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.