i have been thinking about you vs i was thinking about you

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'I have been thinking about you' is used to express that the thinking has been happening continuously up to the present moment. 'I was thinking about you' is used to indicate a past action or a specific moment in the past when the thinking occurred.

Last updated: March 25, 2024 • 2959 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to express continuous thinking up to the present moment.

"i have been thinking about you"

This phrase is used to convey that the thinking process has been ongoing and is still happening at the time of speaking.

Examples:

I have been thinking about you a lot lately.
She has been thinking about her future career choices.
We have been thinking about going on a trip together.
He has been thinking about how to solve the problem.
They have been thinking about the best way to approach the situation.

Show examples from the web [+]

I have been thinking about you inappropriately since it was really inappropriate.
I have been thinking about you, about us.
I have been thinking about you all day.
So I have been thinking about you a lot, which is weird, because we don't even know each other, so I have to fill in the blanks, like a game of "Mad Libs."
I have been thinking about you, about when you were small.
Because I have been thinking about you, ever since we went away.
I have been thinking about you a lot.
But I have been thinking about you and Claire, how much she meant to you, how much you loved her.
I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT YOU, BABY.
I have been thinking about you a lot.
But I have been thinking about you all the time.
I have been thinking about what you said this afternoon.
Okay, people, I have been thinking about everything you've said, and I know what I want my major to be.
Your mother and I have been thinking about finding you?
I have been thinking about the possibility that you may have been psychic driving Will Graham all along.
I haven't been thinking about you as much as I used to.
Babe, I have been thinking a lot about what you said.
You know, I have been thinking a lot about how you went out of your way to help get in touch with my biological dad.
I have been thinking about things and you and things in - in relation to you and - and how everything went down with me and you and- joanna -
I have been thinking a lot about you during this time in which we have been separated.

Alternatives:

I have been pondering about you.
I have been reflecting on you.
I have been contemplating you.
I have been mulling over you.
I have been dwelling on you.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate a past action or a specific moment in the past when the thinking occurred.

"i was thinking about you"

This phrase is used to express that the thinking happened at a particular time in the past and is not necessarily ongoing.

Examples:

I was thinking about you when I received your message.
She was thinking about you yesterday.
We were thinking about you during the meeting.
He was thinking about you before he made the decision.
They were thinking about you while planning the surprise.

Show examples from the web [+]

I was thinking about you this morning.
I was thinking about you and the time we spent together.
I was thinking about you while you made the coffee.
I was thinking about you last night.
But then I was thinking about you.
I was thinking about you, the whole time.
I was thinking about you just yesterday, old boy.
I was thinking about you, to tell the truth.
I was thinking about you, G.
Listen, I was thinking about you yesterday
I was thinking about you and me and if you're still interested...
To bang upon these drums that we have I was thinking about you all last night.
I was thinking about you and the baby, and just how cool this is.
I hope this doesn't sound weird, but I was thinking about you.
I was thinking about you the other day, tryin' to imagine you when you're through with hockey, and I couldn't.
I was thinking about you last night while Katie and I were locked in a fascinating debate about counter granite.
So, I just wanted to come by and tell you that I was thinking about you last night.
Really? Because when I thought I was going to die, I wasn't thinking about babies, I was thinking about you.
When you flipped that coin, and I said I wanted to stay, I don't think I realized it then, but I was thinking about you when I said it.
And, I don't know, I was thinking about you and I was wondering if you wanted to hang out tonight

Alternatives:

I thought about you.
I was pondering about you.
I was reflecting on you.
I was contemplating you.
I was mulling over you.

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i have been thinking about you vs i was thinking about you