Rephrase Your Words ⑦ How to rephrase 「〜と思います」

「〜と思います」 is useful, but can be vague

「〜と思います」 is a very common phrase for people who start learning Japanese.

Good point	Why it helps?
Sounds soft	You do not sound too strong
Avoids a hard statement	It is easier to correct later
Less likely to sound rude	It is easier to protect the other person’s feelings

But because it is so useful, it can hide what you really mean.

For example, the next sentence is correct, but the listener may feel unsure.

「それは、よくないと思います。」 (I think that is not good.)

The key is to know these three points.

Is it an opinion? (your idea)
Is it a guess? (not sure, but maybe)
Is it a softening phrase? (you want to say it gently)

Even with the same 「と思います」, the best wording changes by your goal.

Three functions of 「〜と思います」

「〜と思います」 is not only one meaning. It mainly has three functions.

Say your opinion / idea
Make a guess (something is not certain yet)
Make a statement a little softer (a softening phrase)

So 「思います」 can include opinion, guess, and care for the listener at the same time.

Before you rephrase, ask yourself first.

Decide first	Ask yourself
Goal	What do I want to do now? (opinion / guess / softening phrase)
Position	Is this from my experience? Or is it a rule?
Reason	Why do I think so? (Do I have a reason?)

（根拠（こんきょ） [ko̞ŋkʲo̞]）

(根拠（こんきょ） [ko̞ŋkʲo̞]) means “a reason you can point to.” It can be data, your experience, or the current situation.

Function ①: When you want to say an opinion

If you want to share your idea, you can say it with 「と思います」.

「この方法がいいと思います。」 (I think this method is good.)

But if you only say 「思います」, it can sound like just a feeling.
In work or school, it is often clearer to sound like an opinion with a reason.

Rephrase examples (opinion)

「この方法がよいと考えています。」 (I think this method is good.)
「この方法がよいと判断しています。」 (I judge that this method is good.)
「私の意見としては、この方法がよいです。」 (In my opinion, this method is good.)

Here are two useful points.

Using 「考える」 and 「判断する」 makes it feel like you have a reason.
Adding 「私の意見としては」 shows it is an opinion, not a fact.

（判断（はんだん） [ha̠ɴda̠ɴ]）

(判断（はんだん） [ha̠ɴda̠ɴ]) means “to decide if something is good or bad after you look at information.”

Function ②: When you want to make a guess

「と思います」 is also used when you are not sure, but you think it will probably happen.

「明日は混むと思います。」 (I think it will be crowded tomorrow.)

But the listener may wonder:

Is it only a feeling?
Do you have a reason?
How crowded will it be?

When you guess, it helps to show a little of what you do not know and your reason.

Rephrase examples (guess)

「明日は混むかもしれません。」 (It may be crowded tomorrow.)
「明日は混む可能性があります。」 (There is a chance it will be crowded tomorrow.)
「今日は休日なので、明日も混みそうです。」 (Today is a holiday, so tomorrow also seems crowded.)

（可能性（かのうせい） [ka̠no̞ːse̞ː]）

(可能性（かのうせい） [ka̠no̞ːse̞ː]) means “it can happen.” It is not the same as “100% sure.”

Function ③: When you want to soften a strong statement

When you want to be careful about the other person’s feelings, 「と思います」 can soften your words.

「そのやり方は間違っていると思います。」 (I think that way is wrong.)

But this can still sound strong to some people.
Hearing 「間違っている」 can feel unpleasant.

In this case, it is often clearer to soften the conclusion and show the next action.

Rephrase examples (softening phrase)

「そのやり方は、少し見直したほうがよいかもしれません。」 (It may be better to review that way a little.)
「別のやり方も考えられます。」 (We can also think of another way.)
「私の理解では、別の進め方もできそうです。」 (In my understanding, another way may also work.)

Here are three useful points.

Do not say “wrong” directly. Say review.
Offer “another way,” so you do not blame the other person.
Add 「私の理解では」 to show it is your view.

Rephrase directions (with kana（かな（ひらがなよみ）） and IPA)

Pick a short, clear wording that matches your goal.

Rephrase type	Goal	Japanese example	Reading (kana（かな（ひらがなよみ））)	Pronunciation (IPA)	What it does
Give an opinion	Show your idea as an opinion	「この方法がよいと考えています。」 (I think this method is good.)	(このほうほうがよいとかんがえています)	[ko̞no hoːhoː ɡa̠ jo̞i to kaŋɡae̞teimasɯ]	Sounds closer to a “reasoned opinion” than a feeling
Give an opinion	Make your position clear	「私の意見としては、この方法がよいです。」 (In my opinion, this method is good.)	(わたしのいけんとしてはこのほうほうがよいです)	[wataɕi no ike̞ɴ to̞ɕitewa ko̞no hoːhoː ɡa̠ jo̞i desɯ]	Shows it is “opinion,” not “fact”
Make a guess	Say something uncertain	「明日は混むかもしれません。」 (It may be crowded tomorrow.)	(あしたはこむかもしれません)	[aɕita wa ko̞mɯ kamo ɕiɾe̞masẽɴ]	Shows it is not 100%
Make a guess	Say something that may happen	「明日は混む可能性があります。」 (There is a chance it will be crowded tomorrow.)	(あしたはこむかのうせいがあります)	[aɕita wa ko̞mɯ ka̠no̞ːse̞ː ɡa̠ aɾimasɯ]	A slightly more polite way to say “it may happen”
Use a softening phrase	Weaken a strong wording	「少し見直したほうがよいかもしれません。」 (It may be better to review it a little.)	(すこしみなおしたほうがよいかもしれません)	[sɯkoɕi minao̞ɕita hoːɡa̠ jo̞i kamo ɕiɾe̞masẽɴ]	Guides the talk toward improvement without blame
Use a softening phrase	Show it is your view	「私の理解では、別の進め方もできそうです。」 (In my understanding, another way may also work.)	(わたしのりかいではべつのすすめかたもできそうです)	[wataɕi no ɾikai de̞wa be̞tsɯ no sɯsɯme̞kata mo de̞kis̠oː desɯ]	Avoids a hard claim and keeps the conversation open

Note

IPA is approximate. Vowel length and the nasal 「ん」 change a little by speaker. Check it with the kana reading (かな（ひらがなよみ）).

Usage examples (customer service and work｜with kana（かな（ひらがなよみ）） and IPA)

Try rephrasing without using 「と思います」 too much.

Scene	What you want to say	Better wording	Reading (kana（かな（ひらがなよみ））)	Pronunciation (IPA)	How it comes across
Customer service (busy)	Guess + information	「本日は混みそうです。お時間に余裕をお願いします。」 (It seems busy today. Please allow extra time.)	(ほんじつはこみそうです。おじかんによゆうをおねがいします)	[ho̞ndʑitsɯ wa ko̞mis̠oː desɯ. o̞dʑika̠ɴ ni jo̞jɯː o̞ o̞ne̞ɡai ɕimasɯ]	Guess + next action makes it easy for the listener to respond
Customer service (warning)	Care + request	「こちらは滑りやすいので、気をつけてください。」 (It is slippery here, so please be careful.)	(こちらはすべりやすいのできをつけてください)	[ko̞tɕiɾa wa sɯbe̞ɾijasɯi no̞de̞ ki o̞ t͡sɯke̞te kɯdasai]	No 「と思います」 needed; a reason makes it polite and clear
Work (proposal)	Opinion + reason	「私の意見としては、この方法がよいです。時間が短くなります。」 (In my opinion, this method is good. It saves time.)	(わたしのいけんとしてはこのほうほうがよいです。じかんがみじかくなります)	[wataɕi no ike̞ɴ to̞ɕitewa ko̞no hoːhoː ɡa̠ jo̞i desɯ. dʑika̠ɴ ɡa̠ midʑikakɯ naɾimasɯ]	Shows it is your opinion, and gives a reason
Work (schedule)	Guess	「この作業は、明日までに終わりそうです。」 (This task will likely finish by tomorrow.)	(このさぎょうはあしたまでにおわりそうです)	[ko̞no saɡjo̞ː wa aɕita made̞ ni o̞waɾis̠oː desɯ]	Shares a likely outcome in a clear way
Work (soft disagreement)	Care + suggestion	「その案は、少し見直したほうがよいかもしれません。別の案も見てみませんか。」 (It may be better to review that idea a little. Shall we look at another idea too?)	(そのあんはすこしみなおしたほうがよいかもしれません。べつのあんもみてみませんか)	[so̞no a̠ɴ wa sɯkoɕi minao̞ɕita hoːɡa̠ jo̞i kamo ɕiɾe̞masẽɴ. be̞tsɯ no a̠ɴ mo mite̞mimasẽɴ ka]	Avoids “wrong” and moves the talk forward
Friends (preference)	Opinion (light)	「私は、こっちのほうが好きです。」 (I like this one better.)	(わたしはこっちのほうがすきです)	[wataɕi wa ko̞tːɕi no hoː ɡa̠ sɯki desɯ]	Natural and not too formal

Small tips when you use 「と思います」

1) Add only one “reason”

If you add a reason to 「と思います」, it becomes much clearer.

×「明日は混むと思います。」 (I think it will be crowded tomorrow.)
○「明日は休日なので、混むと思います。」 (Because today is a holiday, I think it will be crowded.)

2) Add 「私は」 to show it is your opinion

It helps the listener not to mistake it for a fact.

「私は、そう思います。」 (That’s what I think.)
「私は、そう考えています。」 (That’s how I think about it.)

3) For hard topics, say what to do next

If you want to be gentle, connect it to an action like “fix” or “change.”

「このままだと大変です。少し直しましょう。」 (If we keep it like this, it will be hard. Let’s fix it a little.)
「いったん見直して、もう一度確認しましょう。」 (Let’s review it once, and check again.)

Common mistakes and fixes

Common sentence	What is the problem?	Fix (example)
「それはだめだと思います。」 (I think that is not OK.)	The reason is missing	「それは難しいです。理由は時間が足りないからです。」 (That is difficult. The reason is that we do not have enough time.)
「たぶん大丈夫だと思います。」 (I think it is probably OK.)	“Probably” + 「思います」 becomes too weak	「今の情報では大丈夫そうです。」 (With what we know now, it seems OK.)
「間違っていると思います。」 (I think it is wrong.)	It can sound too strong	「少し見直したほうがよいかもしれません。」 (It may be better to review it a little.)

Summary

「〜と思います」 is useful, but if you do not think about:

your goal (opinion / guess / softening phrase)
your position (experience / rule / current situation)

your Japanese can be correct but still hard to understand.

Before you say 「思います」, choose a wording that matches your goal.
And if you can, add one “reason” to make it even clearer.

Bonus

4-panel comic: rephrasing 「〜と思います」