
what it means
Pensive is the quiet of somebody working something out. The old word behind it means to weigh — the idea of two things on a scale — and once you know that, the word is exact: a pensive person is holding something up and turning it over, not resting. That is what separates it from sad, which it constantly gets mistaken for. A pensive face is still, turned slightly away, and gives nothing back, so people read unhappiness into it; usually the person is only busy. And it is nearly always physical: pensive at a window, pensive on a train, pensive over a cold cup of tea.
Pensive es el silencio de quien está resolviendo algo. La palabra vieja detrás significa «pesar», como poner dos cosas en la balanza: no descansa, sostiene algo y le da vueltas. Por eso se confunde con «triste» — la cara está quieta y no devuelve nada, pero suele estar ocupada.
Pensive é o silêncio de quem está resolvendo alguma coisa. A palavra antiga por trás significa "pesar", como pôr dois objetos na balança: não é descanso, é segurar algo e virá-lo. Por isso se confunde com "triste" — o rosto está parado e não devolve nada, mas costuma estar ocupado.
Pensive, c'est le silence de quelqu'un en train de démêler quelque chose. Le vieux mot derrière signifie « peser », comme deux objets sur une balance : ce n'est pas du repos, c'est tenir une chose et la retourner. D'où la confusion avec « triste » — le visage est immobile et ne rend rien, mais il est occupé.
Pensive adalah diamnya orang yang sedang menyelesaikan sesuatu di dalam kepala. Kata lama di baliknya berarti "menimbang", seperti dua benda di timbangan: bukan istirahat, melainkan memegang sesuatu dan membolak-baliknya. Karena itu sering dikira "sedih" — wajahnya diam dan tidak membalas apa-apa, padahal sedang sibuk.
Pensive, bir şeyi çözmekte olan birinin sessizliğidir. Arkasındaki eski kelime "tartmak" demek; terazideki iki şey gibi. Dinlenmek değildir; bir şeyi tutup çevirmektir. Bu yüzden "üzgün" ile karıştırılır — yüz kımıldamaz ve karşılık vermez, oysa çoğu zaman yalnızca meşguldür.
pensive は、何かを解こうとしている人の静けさです。もとの古い言葉は「量る」——天秤に二つ載せる、あの感じ。休んでいるのではなく、何かを手に取って裏返しているのです。だから「悲しそう」と誤解されます。顔は動かず、何も返してこないけれど、たいていは忙しいだけです。
adjective
quiet and thoughtful, often about something serious
“He grew pensive as the train pulled away from the platform.”
adjective
of a look or a silence: showing that kind of thinking
“There was a pensive pause before she answered.”
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A pensive face is —
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